Manchester City need to ensure they stay in contention in the race for the Premier League title on Sunday, although they'll face a stiff examination of their credentials when they take on Everton at Goodison Park.Last time out, Pep Guardiolas men enjoyed a spectacular return to form in the FA Cup, as they hammered West Ham United 5-0 at the Olympic Stadium. Having lost ground over the festive period, City cant afford many slip-ups, especially given there are still six sides who will feel they are capable of scaling the summit of the table.Everton have made decent progress in the Premier League, taking seven points from their last nine to cement their spot in seventh. However, a loss in the FA Cup to Leicester City has dampened spirits at Goodison Park again.Here is the latest team news from both camps ahead of the contest, the key viewing details and a look ahead to one of the most intriguing matches of 2017 so far.Date: Sunday, January 15Time: 1:30 p.m. (GMT), 8:30 a.m. (ET)TV Info: Sky Sports (U.K.), NBC Sports Live (U.S.)Live Stream: Sky Go (U.K.), NBC Sports App (U.S.)Team NewsEverton: Toffees boss Ronald Koeman looks poised to hand a debut to new signing Morgan Schneiderlin, whose move to the club was confirmedby Everton on Thursday. Idrissa Gueye will miss the match due to his Africa Cup of Nations commitments, while Yannick Bolasie, Muhamed Besic and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are all injured.Likely XI: Joel Robles; Seamus Coleman, Mason Holgate, Ashley Williams, Ramiro Funes Mori, Leighton Baines; Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Ross Barkley; Enner Valencia, Romelu LukakuManchester City: Guardiola will be without the suspended Fernandinho for this one. Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan are both long-term absentees for City.Likely XI: Claudio Bravo; Bacary Sagna, Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Gael Clichy; Pablo Zabaleta, Yaya Toure; Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva; Sergio AgueroTeam news courtesy of Fantasy Football Scout.PreviewFor all the talk of issues at Manchester City, most notably in the aftermath of their tepid display against Liverpool on Dec. 31, Guardiola has steered this team to five wins from their last six matches in all competitions.Against West Ham, they looked a lot more like the team that lit up the league early in the campaign. Silva fizzed in pockets of space, De Bruyne was consistently probing at the Irons back four and Sterling offered an incisive threat on the flank.The crown jewel of the attack, Aguero, looks to be back at a level approaching his best again too. Per Squawka Football, hes been incredibly consistent in front of goal since moving to the Etihad Stadium:If Everton defend like they did in the latter stages of the loss to Leicester, they could be on the end of a scoreline similar to one West Ham had to endure. But overall, theyve been a much more cohesive outfit under Koeman.Although Gueye will be missed on Sunday for what will need to be a colossal defensive effort, in Schneiderlin Everton now have a man who can make his presence felt in the middle third of the field.Even though hes only played a meagre 11 minutes for the Red Devils in the Premier League this season, as we can see from OptaJoe the Frenchman has consistently been one of the most combative midfielders in English football:Everton will also feel as though they can get at a City defence thats looked extremely brittle at times under Guardiola.The visitors do not have Fernandinho to call upon to protect the defensive structure, with Guardiola using Toure as the deepest man in midfield. While the veteran Ivorian is still wonderful on the ball, should the likes of Schneiderlin, Barkley and Davies scurry forward, its tough to see him tracking those surges.Itll also be a big day for City centre-back Stones, who returns to Goodison Park for the first time since his summer switch. Per James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph, Guardiola doesnt seem to have made his mind up on the England international quite yet despite spending big money to get him on board:Should City score an early goal here like they did against West Ham, itll be tough for Everton. Not only do they have players who can keep the ball for long spells, but they have shown theyre capable of countering with blistering incision too.Subsequently, the Toffees must keep things tight early on and seek to gain an edge in midfield should the energy levels of players like Zabaleta and Toure falter. The tactical battle between the two managers, who know each other very well, will be a fascinating one, and its easy to see both teams cancelling one another out here.Prediction: Everton 1-1 Manchester City
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