Everton have a mammoth task to get something from this game but they cannot afford to accept defeat before a ball has even been kicked.
They can’t be naive but they need to offer some threat - we have seen some teams causing City problems this season when they have been brave enough to try and test them. There is an argument to go five at the back but I would stick with four, keeping to Lampard ’s preferred style and bringing Conor Coady in for Yerry Mina.
Where I would change things is that I would have both Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye sitting deeper and protecting the back four. I was pleased to see Onana deeper last week and would play Gueye less advanced than he was against Wolves and alongside him.
I would then have Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray out wide, hoping they can help their full backs out and get up the pitch, relieve pressure and create the odd threat going forward. Alex Iwobi keeps his spot behind Neal Maupay.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana; Gordon, Iwobi, Gray; Maupay
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Chris Beesley - No need to change system
Everton 's team selection for Manchester City could be impacted by a bug that has afflicted the squad but as a traumatic 2022 draws to a close with hopes (and prayers) that the New Year won't be even worse for long-suffering Blues, there's a feeling that their players have actually been struck by a sickness for a considerable time.
Leicester City, Bournemouth and now Wolverhampton Wanderers, if you're a Premier League team in need of a morale-boosting 'pick-me-up' then it seems that a fixture against under-achieving Everton, so often less than the sum of their parts, is just what the doctor ordered.
After suffering defeat against a team that were the top flight's basement club in their previous fixture, the Blues now face the daunting task of going away to the reigning champions. Everton once enjoyed an impressive record in this fixtures but have now lost the last nine meetings and anything better than a 10th consecutive defeat would be a massive boost.
Should Frank Lampard pack his team with defenders at the Etihad? It's certainly a temptation but personally I'd try and stick to a system and - regardless of what happens here - try to work on the fine-tuning for it ahead of the now 'must-win' home game against Brighton & Hove Albion.
My team (4-3-3): Pickford; Patterson, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Coady; Gueye, Onana, Iwobi; Gordon, Gray, Calvert-Lewin
Connor O'Neill - DCL and Gray return
When team news drops at the Etihad at 2pm this afternoon, all eyes will be on whether Dominic Calvert-Lewin starts for Everton.
Speaking on Friday, Blues boss Frank Lampard confirmed the forward is back for the game, but didn’t drop any further hints as to whether he will lead the line for his side.
In many people’s eyes, it would be better saving Calvert-Lewin for Tuesday’s game against Brighton at Goodison Park, but at the same time, the forward needs game time. It is quite the conundrum for Lampard, but for me, I would start the England international.
At the back, Conor Coady should come back in for Yerry Mina, while out wide, Demarai Gray should come in for Dwight McNeil, who struggled in Monday’s defeat to Wolves.
My team (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Patterson, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko, Gueye, Onana; Gordon, Iwobi, Gray; Calvert-Lewin
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