Everton vs Man City LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Bernardo Silva goal caps impressive comeback

This feels an oddly important game for a team that have just become champions of the world, but you get the sense that a fired-up Goodison Park on a cold night is not where Pep Guardiola would have preferred to resume Premier League duties. A win would take Manchester City back into the top four and they will retain a game in hand on their rivals for a little while, but more dropped points could see Liverpool and Arsenal open up a bit of a gap.

You sense that Guardiola’s side will kick into gear when Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland are back fit and firing, but it just felt like they were drifting a bit into that Club World Cup trip. Perhaps tonight is the night they find that intensity again.

A few goals already in the earlier two of the three Premier League games this evening, with Wolves off to a bit of a flyer at Brentford but soon pegged back, and Chelsea in front against Crystal Palace.

Beto has popped up with a couple of goals this month for Everton, the Portuguese striker very much still adapting to life on Merseyside. The 25-year-old hasn’t necessarily been a fluent goalscorer in his career so far but, as Sean Dyche noted ahead of kick off, he’s got a good blend of skills, and should offer an aerial threat at six-foot-four. Ruben Dias maybe hasn’t hit top form this season but that Manchester City defence does look slightly more vulnerable without him to anchor it. Will there be spaces for Beto to prey upon between Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake if John Stones steps up into midfield?

That midfield battle will be key. Having Rodri fit is a real boost for Manchester City given his importance to their structure, and Matheus Nunes is beginning to bed in to a more settled role slightly further forward. Idrissa Gueye’s destructive qualities might have been valuable for Sean Dyche but having Andre Gomes back amongst things after almost 600 days out will please the Everton manager, and you’d think the home side should have plenty of legs in midfield.

[On Andre Gomes getting a start after a rough run with injuries] “We just want him to play. We are a bit stretched, but he said he’s fine. He’s had a good rehab and he played well the other week. He’s a talent, he’s had a really awkward period of injuries. He feels in a good place at the moment.

[On Beto starting ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin] “Because we’ve had injuries, Dom is making good progress coming back to true Premier League fitness. We’ve got a lot of games, so we are a bit stretched, but the group want to give everything again tonight. Beto is beginning to settle. We all know it takes time. He is very raw but he is very honest. He is someone a bit different and we want that to be a strength for us. He can play physical, he’s fast. Sometimes you are not sure what you

“With Dom, it’s been a long process working with him and the medical team. You can’t just put him out there all the time. He’s getting to true Premier League sharpness, where he was a couple of years ago.

“The gampelan I’ve always tried to work on is to try to take the game on from the first minute. The format has been working well for us. Manchester City can operate in so many different ways. Top manager, top team, and they’ve proved that. I know they’ve had a stickier patch than usual, but we know we’ve got to play really well. It starts with us, and playing well - that has to be something you take care of.”

“It sounds good, when you say world champions. It was a good week there, altogether. We played two games and we did it - we are so proud to achieve it for the first time to finish a really good year.

“It is back to reality, going to Goodison Park after becoming world champions. It’s cold, freezing - there is no better place...

On Julian Alvarez: “He’s so clever with the ball, without the ball, how he moves. He is a young player who was an incredible signing from Argentina, few people knew him, but he adapted really well. He was playing number nine for Argentina at the World Cup - to do that you have to have something special.

“Kevin de Bruyne was training with us last week. Today he had a bit of fatigue. He is so important for us, like Erling. These two guys help you to win games. Erling feels better, but he didn’t train with us. December is so congested with lots of games, January a little bit less, so hopefully in January he can be back with us.”

Ruben Dias is absent for Manchester City due to illness, with Manuel Akanji brough in defensively. Matheus Nunes starts in midfield, with Julian Alvarez once more leading the line with Erling Haaland sidelined.

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Akanji, Ake; Rodri; Foden, Nunes, Bernardo, Grealish; Alvarez.

A couple of changes for Everton, with Andre Gomes and Beto brought into the starting side. Seamus Coleman is fit enough to make the bench.

Everton XI: Pickford; Patterson, Tarkowski (c), Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gomes, Onana; Harrison, Garner, McNeil; Beto.

The clock is ticking towards an hour before kick off, which means it is time for the all-important team news. Will Manchester City get any of their injury absentees back?

Manchester City are in talks to sign the Argentinian teenager Claudio Echeverri from River Plate.

No deal has yet been agreed for the midfielder, who starred as Argentina reached the semi-finals of the Under-17 World Cup earlier this month.

It is anticipated that if City do sign Echeverri, he would be loaned back to River Plate for the rest of the European season.