'Matter of time' - Man City backed to end dismal run with Boxing Day win over Everton
Manchester City welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day looking to arrest their dreadful run of form.
Pep Guardiola's side have fallen to seventh in the Premier League table after a run of just one win in their last 12 matches in all competitions, with their latest setback coming in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
As well as plummeting down the league table, City have also crashed out of the Carabao Cup and are at risk of missing out on a place in the Champions League knockout stages.
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Things have to turn around quickly if they are to resurrect their season and their first chance to do so comes with the visit of Sean Dyche's side to Eastlands.
Here is how a number of prominent Premier League pundits feel they will fare against the Toffees.
Chris Sutton
The former Blackburn and Celtic forward told BBC Sport: "Manchester City are finding everything difficult at the moment, including creating chances and scoring goals, but I still think it is just a matter of time until they come good again - they have to.
"There is so much noise around City at the moment, about what is going wrong, but this is still a game they should win.
"Everton have kept clean sheets in five of their past six games but they got thumped the last time they came to Manchester - at the start of December, when they lost 4-0 to Manchester United.
"I think they will lose at Etihad Stadium too."
Sutton's prediction: Man City 2-1 Everton
Mark Lawrenson
The former BBC Sport pundit told Paddy Power: "Manchester City lost again and they still don’t look right, they hardly made a chance against Aston Villa.
"Everton had another good result against another one of the top teams with successive 0-0s. You have to think City will turn it round at some point but Everton know what they are about."
Lawrenson's prediction: Man City 1-1 Everton
