FT:Everton 1-0 Man City: Man City enjoyed a huge percentage of the possession in the second half but they never looked like troubling Howard in the Everton goal and the Toffees take a crucial three points in the race for European football.

Leighton Baines is back from injury and he is on now in place of Anichebe.

Finally Howard is forced into action as Petrov drives in a low shot from the left that the keeper gets down to quickly.

Sven looks a little disbelieving that his side have not tested Howard because his side have been all over Everton in this half.

Somehow Tim Cahill hasn't scored today as he heads another Arteta cross over the bar from the penalty spot.

Everton now look pretty comfortable as even though City are enjoying the possession they don't look remotely like getting through.

Mikel Arteta's delivery has been wonderful this afternoon and its a surprise that Everton haven't scored more from them as Vaughan is denied superbly by Hart.

Things have got a little scrappy now with a number of petty fouls upsetting the rhythm of proceedings.

Everton are now beginning to enjoy a little bit of possession themselves and Valente is starting to get into decent positions to cross.

Cahill and Arteta have hardly had a kick in this half but the Spaniard delivers a wonderful free-kick and the Australian rises but the ball just beats him as he looked to head goalwards.

Darius Vassell is off now with Stephen Ireland coming on to replace the front man who has had very little service.

Everton have relieved some of the pressure with a bit of possession but City are the ones on top, although Howard is yet to be forced into action.

Lee Carsley picks up a yellow card now for a foul on Elano as the Brazilian looked to attack the home defence.

James McFadden has been a little quiet today and he is replaced by James Vaughan who has bags of potential.

Cahill is walking a very thin tight rope at the moment as he commits yet another foul and with a booking already he is risking being dismissed.

City make a double change now as Dietmar Hamann and Nery Castillo are replaced by Rolando Bianchi and Gelson Fernandes.

Michael Ball curls the ball in from the left and Petrov tries an ambitious volley from the edge of the box but he slices it wildly out for a throw in.

Man City are now beginning to look in a bit of control at the moment and Onuoha is getting forward down the right a lot more now to support Elano.

However, City have turned things round a little in the last few minutes with Petrov starting to put the ball in well from the left hand side.

Everton have again made a lively start to the second period with Cahill being caught a fraction offside.

The second period is underway at Goodison Park with City looking to improve on their pretty poor away record but they face a battle against an Everton side who were superb in the first half.

HT:Everton 1-0 Man City: Everton hold a deserved lead at the break through Lescott but City were starting to apply pressure in the latter stages of the half.

Dietmar Hamann picks up City's first booking for a foul on Nuno Valente, although replays suggest the referee has got it totally wrong.

As half-time approaches City are the ones ending the half on top with Petrov and Elano finally starting to see some of the ball but Castillo has been largely anonymous so far.

Phil Neville takes a rare run forward and lets fly from 25 yards but it is straight at Joe Hart who makes a comfortable save.

Rather strangely that goal has sparked Sven's men into life and they look a totally different outfit now and the pressure is on the Everton backline.

The visitors have responded pretty well to the goal and Howard is sent scrambling after an Elano free-kick takes a huge deflection off Anichebe and loops onto the top of the net.

GOAL:Everton 1-0 Man City: (30mins) Arteta with a devilish cross into the near post and Lescott arrives to head past a stranded Hart. What will City do to respond?

The home side are really on top at the moment and City cannot get out of their half with any great possession and a goal looks to be coming.

Arteta and Anichebe work well down the right and Cahill somehow manages to miss two golden opportunities to open the scoring.

Mikel Arteta has superb delivery from the set-pieces and he puts in a lovely ball here that Jagielka meets at the near post but he can't keep his header down.

Everton are applying some form of pressure now and Carsley tries luck from an ambitious distance but his 35-yarder is well wide of goal.

Nuno Valente advances down the left hand side and curls a cross in and Joleon Lescott of all people is up there to hit the volley but Micah Richards blocks well.

Still the game is lacking any real impetus with both teams keeping it tight and the tempo is not very quick at all.

Tim Cahill is booked early on for a pretty dodgy looking tackle on Dietmar Hamann in the midfield.

There is no real flow to proceedings so far with both sides passing looking a little lacklustre and they will need to pick it up.

Everton are probably still enjoying the better of it in front of their home fans but there have been no chances so far.

Everton have had a fair bit of the early possession with Neville getting into the right channel and bending a ball in towards the edge of the box but Elano is able to clear.

Mark Halsey is today's referee and he gets this big game underway with both sides surely looking for a quick start to take the upper hand early.

Man City: Hart, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Corluka, Hamann, Petrov, Elano, Castillo, Vassell

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Nuno Valente, Arteta, Carsley, Neville, McFadden, Cahill, Anichebe

Man City began the season superbly and have regained their form after a minor blip, no doubt helped by the return of playmaker Elano and they will be looking to build on their victory at Newcastle in their last away Premier League game.

Everton suffered late heartbreak in the Carling Cup against Chelsea in midweek but that shouldn't have too much of an effect on their league form which has been top drawer in over the last couple of months.

Welcome to Goodison Park where two sides with real ambitions of surpassing Liverpool into fourth place clash on a vital January afternoon.