Everton vs. Manchester City – FA Cup, March 20, 2021

Manchester City’s search for the much talked-about quadruple continues this weekend as Pep Guardiola’s men face Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The teams clash at Goodison Park on Saturday, March 20, with the EPL champion-elect currently sitting 25 points ahead of the Toffees in the top-flight standings.

I assess the bookmakers’ odds before giving my Everton vs. Manchester City FA Cup prediction and betting pick.

We all know that Man City (1.30) is on a seemingly unstoppable path to glory this season. But I’m shocked to see Everton (8.25) priced so high here, especially as this is a one-off match. I mean, even the odds for the draw (5.50) are massive!

That’s what the top betting sites make of this matchup. Now, let’s take a closer look at both sides.

Everton’s route to the FA Cup quarter-finals:

It’s fair to say that Everton has come through some tricky games to reach this stage. The Toffees needed extra-time to get past Championship side Rotherham in the third round, before getting the better of Sheff Wed.

In the previous round, Carlo Ancelotti’s men were pushed to their limits by Spurs. The two teams produced one of the most memorable FA Cup matches in recent history, with Everton eventually ending up on the right side of a nine-goal thriller.

Everton secured three straight EPL wins over Liverpool, Southampton, and West Brom not so long ago – without conceding a single goal. But following back-to-back losses against Chelsea and Burnley, European qualification could be tough to achieve.

Thankfully, Dominic Calvert-Lewin rediscovered his scoring touch against Burnley last weekend. The striker now has 19 goals in 30 appearances this season, including two goals in two FA Cup outings.

Needless to say, Calvert-Lewin will need to be at his very best this weekend.

Manchester City’s route to the FA Cup quarter-finals:

The Cityzens can take confidence from the fact that they beat Everton in the Premier League last month. But do they really need any more confidence?

After all, Man City has won 17 of their last 18 EPL matches – opening up a 14-point lead at the top of the table in the process. Better still, Guardiola’s men have only lost one of their previous 32 outings in all competitions, with countless goals and clean sheets coming along the way.

After seeing off Southampton (5-2) and Fulham (3-0) in the Premier League last week, City booked their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals with an easy 2-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.

Once again, Ilkay Gundogan hit the target in midweek. The midfielder has bagged 15 goals in all competitions this term, making him one of the most feared players in the country right now.

Naturally, the question on everyone’s lips is – can Man City win the quadruple? Well, they should take a step closer to achieving that feat on Saturday.

Believe me – I was desperate to make a case for Everton upsetting the odds here. The prices for the home win and the draw are seriously tempting, but at the end of the day, I just can’t see it happening.

Guardiola has sacrificed domestic cup competitions in favor of the EPL and UCL in the past. However, it feels like Man City is genuinely challenging for every piece of silverware this season.