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

Manchester City’s Current Form and Squad Challenges

After securing a hard-fought 1-0 away victory against Brentford, Manchester City entered the international break. Despite undergoing significant squad changes and a generational shift over the past year, the ‘Citizens’ currently sit in 5th place in the . Given the league’s intense competition, this represents a reasonable start to their campaign. However, City now faces the challenge of numerous players returning from international duty during this October window. It’s improbable that Pep Guardiola will be able to swiftly bring them all back to a unified level of match fitness, particularly considering their diverse travels from various continents and the resulting staggered returns to the squad. Consequently, I anticipate some squad rotation from Guardiola in the upcoming fixture against the ‘Toffees’. Nonetheless, it’s clear that Haaland, who was released early from his national team commitments, will be eager to make a decisive impact in attack. For this match against Everton, the hosts will be without Ait Nouri, Khusanov, and Rodri – with Rodri’s absence being a truly significant loss. Meanwhile, Marmoush, who is recovering from a knee injury, remains a doubt.

Everton’s Promising Start and Key Absences

Everton has enjoyed a commendable start to the season, with David Moyes’ squad becoming the first in a considerable time to overcome Crystal Palace. The 2-1 victory over the ‘Eagles’, sealed by a decisive Grealish goal in injury time, demonstrated both resilience and significance. Jack’s arrival from City has notably revitalized the Liverpudlians’ attacking dynamics, making their play considerably more potent. Currently, the visitors are positioned within the top 8 of the league table, showcasing a cohesive and balanced style of football. As such, at the Etihad, Guardiola would be wise to be wary of the ‘Toffees” potent counter-attacks. For this fixture against City, the visitors will be without Grealish (due to loan agreement restrictions) and Role, while the availability of Keane remains uncertain.