Manchester City — Everton : Match Preview and Prediction for October 18,2025

Manchester City’s Current Form and Challenges

Following a hard-fought 1-0 away victory against Brentford, Manchester City entered the international break. Despite a significant squad overhaul and a generational shift over the past year, the Citizens currently sit 5th in the Premier League. Given the tight competition at the top, this is a reasonable start. However, a major challenge for Pep Guardiola stems from the fact that a multitude of players were dispersed across various national teams for the October international window. Reintegrating them and bringing them all to peak match fitness will likely be difficult, especially since they’ve traveled across different continents and returned to the squad at varying times. Consequently, I anticipate some squad rotation from Guardiola in the upcoming clash against the Toffees. Nevertheless, it’s clear that Erling Haaland, who was released early from international duty, will be keen to make an impact upfront. For the match against Everton, the hosts will be without Ait Nouri, Khusanov, and crucially, Rodri. Meanwhile, Marmoush, who is recovering from a knee injury, remains doubtful.

Everton’s Promising Start and Key Absences

Everton has embarked on a commendable start to the season. David Moyes’ side notably became the first team in a long while to defeat Crystal Palace. Their resilient 2-1 victory over the Eagles, secured by a Grealish goal in injury time, was both significant and hard-earned. Jack Grealish’s arrival from City has completely revitalized the Liverpool club’s attacking play, making it far more potent.Currently, the visitors are positioned in the top 8 of the league table, showcasing cohesive and well-balanced performances. As such, Guardiola’s team should be wary of Everton’s counter-attacking threat at the Etihad. For this encounter against City, Everton will be without Grealish (due to loan agreement terms) and Rohl, while Keane’s availability is uncertain.