Betting tips / Lee Dixon / 31 January 2012 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

The return of captain Vincent Kompany will be the key for Lee Dixon as he predicts Manchester City securing a win over Everton.

Manchester City's win over Tottenham a week ago raised plenty of talking points, none more so interesting than whether Mario Balotelli should have still been on the pitch to win and convert the penalty that won City the match.

I think I was one of the few who wasn't so sure whether his alleged stamp on Scott Parker was deliberate. It may well have been of course but I think there was enough uncertainty to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Would that have been the case if it involved another player?

I guess we'll never know, but there's no doubt that City will miss Balotelli and his goals for the remainder of his ban. The former Inter Milan man is a huge talent; at times he seems to find the game of professional football effortless and appears to just stroll through matches and still be just about the best player on the pitch. But Balotelli needs to sort himself out because though he may still be a young man, he's been playing the game for a while now. It's easy to claim you're a victim http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16711526.stm and it's hard to shake off a bad-boy reputation but very often if trouble keeps finding you, you've probably occasionally gone looking for it. Solving these sort of problems is what Roberto Mancini is paid to do but at the moment he'll only be thinking of beating Everton and keeping the team's momentum.

Match Odds

There's been plenty of transfer speculation over the past few weeks, but most of it has been just that, because there haven't been too many major signings. In fact, the big success stories have actually been about players on short-term loans. Robbie Keane has bagged a few goals at Aston Villa, Thierry Henry scored that fairytale winner against Leeds for Arsenal and then of course, there's Landon Donovan. It's his second spell at Goodison Park and he's yet to find the net for the Toffees this time around but the American is a great addition, albeit for a short period. He can play out wide, just behind the striker or even as a more conventional forward. He knows the club already and gives the manager options at a time when the games are coming thick and fast.

Everton will need a performance out of Donovan on Tuesday night if they're to get anything from this match because City are on a roll. They've had a serious setback in the form of Vincent Kompany's suspension and the absences of the Toure brothers but they've carried on winning, by hook or by crook. This should be no exception, despite Everton's good record against them and [1.86] on another win for the league leaders looks generous.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals/Correct Score

I fancy goals here. Since Kompany's 12th minute sending-off against Manchester United in the FA Cup, City have conceded seven goals. Kompany is back for this match of course, but it may take some time for him to gel with his team-mates again. The absence of Yaya Toure has also been felt in that they've lacked his physical presence in the heart of the midfield and opponents have had more of the ball in those areas. I'd be surprised if City kept a clean sheet, even though Everton haven't exactly been prolific themselves recently. And given I fancy City to win, it's pretty obvious I'm very much in the 'overs' camp here at [2.06].

But if you're after a bigger price, go with 2-1 City on the correct score market at [9.6].

First Goalscorer

No prizes for originality here, but I like the chances of Sergio Aguero. He's actually gone four matches without a goal, so you can either take the view that he's out of form or that he's due. It's the latter for me. I don't think it's the case that he's not playing well, just that the ball hasn't gone in. Show faith in the little man to break the deadlock at a crucial time in City's season.


LEE DIXON'S BEST BETS
2 pts Back Manchester City to win @ [1.86]
3pts Back over 2.5 goals @ [2.06]
2 pts Back City to win 2-1 @ [9.6]
1pt Back Sergio Aguero to be first goalscorer @ [5.6]