- Man City play Everton tonight
- Kick off at 8pm BST
- Three players in particular must step up
Manchester City face Everton in the Premier League and there are three players who need to be at their best.
Here are the members of Pep Guardiola’s squad who each need to produce a strong showing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Antoine Semenyo has looked off the pace
Man City’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool was one of Antoine Semenyo’s best performances since joining the club.
However, he has not made any notable recent contributions in the Premier League, having failed to register a goal contribution since the beginning of March.
While Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku have been thriving with their creativity, Semenyo has had far less of an impact.
The 26-year-old needs to get more involved, because it is not as if Pep Guardiola does not have alternative options.
Gianluigi Donnarumma needs to keep the fans onside
It is no secret that James Trafford could leave Man City this summer, an exit which would not go down well with the club’s supporters.
Trafford is a locally-trained talent who may well be a future first-team goalkeeper for the England national team.
Should he depart, Gianluigi Donnarumma would face a lot of scrutiny, with every mistake noted by City’s fans.
The Italian made a massive error which luckily did not cost his team against Arsenal, but followed this up with a clean sheet at Burnley. Tonight, another match without conceding a goal would be very advantageous.
Nico Gonzalez needs to make a statement ahead of next season
Rodri and Bernardo Silva have been untouchable in Man City’s midfield this season, but there is still a chance that neither is at the club by the end of the summer transfer window.
Even if Rodri were to stay, there would be a chance for Nico Gonzalez to break into the first-team as a regular starter.
The Spaniard has started 26 matches in all competitions, but he will want this number to rise significantly during the next campaign.
Nico showed against Southampton exactly what he is capable of, and he could be handed a chance to do something similar against Everton.
If the midfielder is able to keep performing at a high level then his minutes could well increase, even with the potential rival of Elliot Anderson.
