Everton FC in the right mood to end Roberto Mancini's honeymoon at Manchester City
EARLIER this season, who would have envisioned Everton kicking themselves for only taking one point from The Emirates?
Not only that, but who foresaw David Moyes's team coping almost effortlessly without their Nigerian contingent?
Hardly anyone has menioned the loss of Joseph Yobo and Ayegbeni Yakubu to the African Cup of Nations - although it doesn't actually look like it's going to last too much longer judging by their performance against Egypt at Tuesday teatime.
Neither player covered himself in glory over in Angola, unlike their club comrades who, to a man, played magnificently against Arsenal.
Even Arsene Wenger conceded that his side were lucky to escape with a point, although you do start to wonder when exactly we will actually go the whole hog and win away at the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United.
We certainly couldn't have gone any closer than we did on Saturday.
Steven Pienaar's brilliant goal obviously caught the eye, but we almost take the little South African's brilliance for granted now.
Landon Donovan, on the other hand, went into the match as an almost unknown quantity.
Outstanding in the less-than-stellar MLS, but with a couple of unsuccessful stints in Europe already blotting his CV, many people in football seem curious as to whether he has what it takes to cut it in the unforgiving environment of the Premier League.
Moyes obviously liked what he saw of the US captain in training, throwing him straight into such a big game, and he repaid that faith with a performance full of pace, strength and intelligence.
He looked confident and assured in everything he did, and barring a goal he couldn't have really asked for a better debut, which is great news for Moyes with big games coming thick and fast at the moment.
Take this weekend's encounter with Manchester City, for instance.
Given the bad blood that developed over the summer, the anticipation ahead of this match is approaching derby levels.
Obviously Mark Hughes and Joleon Lescott won't feature, for different reasons, but nonetheless there is a burning desire amongst Evertonians - and you suspect that's reflected in the dugout as well - to see this shower of scratchcard lottery winners put firmly in their place.
With Carlos Tevez in such great form that might be easier said than done, but if the performance against Arsenal was anything to go by, Everton look like they are right in the mood to bring the curtain down on Roberto Manicini's Eastlands honeymoon.
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bring em on!
it is a pity frankenstein and hughes won't be there.
it would have been good to see the lads terrorizing ãe$$cott & co.
your right, the feeling i have going into this game is (almost) the way i feel going into a derby day.
lets show these classless renegades what it is to be a proper football club!
coyb!!!
It will be a huge test, but I haven't felt this positive in months. Finally we are competing again, after far too much bad luck. City are certainly the form team right now, but they haven't faced any serious opposition yet. I sense that Mancini's confidence is brittle - a few defeats and his regime could collapse. I'm betting on a tough draw here, though there will be plenty who don't! http://cli.gs/n1Mm9a
ESSENTIAL thhat Seamus Colemman starts and plays the entire game - he could score again here :-)
As Tony Hibbert is out for a month, Seamas Coleman will probably start . He could score -and so could Landon Donovan .
We'll need two goals to win, as Tevez will probably score one for them in his present form where I can't see a defence in the prem stopping him .
Cahill/Osman/Pienaar could feature on the score sheet too .
I'll be optimistic and say , Everton 2, Man City 1 .