David Moyes will face Pep Guardiola for the 16th time in the Premier League when Manchester City visit Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night, 02 May 2026.
City arrive in form: they are unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League matches, have collected 24 points and conceded eight goals in that run, and have won six games in a row in all competitions while conceding only two goals. That momentum was underlined last weekend when Manchester City beat Southampton 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final.
Everton, by contrast, go into the match with fresh wounds. They have lost their last two league games and conceded stoppage-time winners in each of their last two Premier League fixtures — a 100th-minute goal to Liverpool and a 92nd-minute winner to West Ham United, the latter ending in a 2-1 defeat last weekend.
The weight of history sits with Guardiola. Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League games against Everton, and the Blues have lost their last eight home league games to City. Guardiola himself is on a perfect run in this head-to-head: he has not lost any of his previous 15 Premier League meetings with Moyes.
Those records matter on Monday. Pep Guardiola and David Moyes meet with very different recent narratives: Guardiola's side have tightened into a low-concession, high-output machine — Erling Haaland has 24 Premier League goals this season and Jérémy Doku has contributed four assists for Haaland while creating 24 chances following a carry and making 82 carries into the opponent's penalty area this campaign. Manchester City have also recorded 111 through balls in the Premier League this season; Everton have faced 67 through balls.
There is, however, a live and specific uncertainty that could tilt the match. Rodri remains doubtful because of a groin problem. Guardiola said the midfielder was "getting better" but had not trained before Friday, and that partial recovery leaves his availability in doubt for the bank holiday fixture. Rodri's rhythm and presence would change how City control midfield; without him Guardiola must reshuffle a unit that has shipped just eight goals during the club's 11-game unbeaten run.
For Everton the stakes are immediate and precise. The club has not lost three league games in a row since January last season, so a third straight defeat would mark a new low in recent domestic form. That pressure stacks against an opponent unbeaten in 17 league meetings and arriving with forward players in sharp scoring form and an abundant creative output from carries and through balls.
The matchup also contains a tension between late-match fragility and clinical consistency. Everton's two most recent defeats were decided by injury-time strikes; Manchester City have repeatedly turned tight games in their favour across competitions, as their six successive wins in all tournaments show. Who sustains composure in the closing stages will likely decide Everton Vs Man City on Monday night.
The single, consequential question is Rodri's fitness. If he is fit, City keep their most settled midfield axis and the visitors are likely to extend their run. If he is absent, Guardiola must adapt and Everton's late-game weaknesses suddenly look more exploitable — but that is a narrow opening against a team unbeaten in 11 and carrying the confidence of a recent FA Cup semi-final win. The answer on Rodri will tell us which version of this matchup turns up at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
