Man City v Everton LIVE: Premier League score and latest updates as Haaland starts and De Bruyne benched

8 min: A pause in play after a clash in the City box between Ederson and Everton defender Ben Godfrey. Godfrey went into the challenge fully committed and the City keeper seems to be injured.

5 min: City are patiently probing, and Everton are defending with occasional shows of aggression. This time it’s Tarkowski who clatters through the back of Alvarez on the halfway line, conceding a foul. A moment later Everton pinch the ball and switch it to the left for McNeil, who crosses, and City clear. Brighter by Everton, that.

2 min: There’s the first sign of Jeremy Doku’s electric pace, as he dribbles into the Everton box and forces a corner from a nothing position. The corner is well defended by Everton, but just how early they are on the back foot here is pretty ominious for the rest of their afternoon.

And we’re off! Manchester City have immediately taken ownership of the football.

The players are out on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium. Sean Dyche has a rugby spot high up in the stands, looking over everything, due to his touchline ban today.

Five minutes until this Premier League weekend gets under way! Here’s a reminder of the two teams today:

Man City: Ederson, Stones, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Matheus Luiz, Rodri, Foden, Alvarez, Doku, Haaland.

Subs: Walker, Grealish, De Bruyne, Ortega, Bernardo Silva, Gvardiol, Bobb, Wright, Lewis.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Young, Garner, Gueye, McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs: Patterson, Keane, Onana, Virginia, Beto, Coleman, Chermiti, Hunt, Dobbin.

Referee: John Brooks (Leicestershire)

The champions can take over at the summit – for a few hours at least – if they beat the Toffees in their Saturday lunchtime encounter at the Etihad Stadium.

Yet after having difficulties against the Merseysiders in the past – Everton claimed a 1-1 draw in Manchester last season – the City manager is taking nothing for granted.

More from the big story from Friday and sin bins:

Football’s lawmakers are determined to crack down on dissent towards referees by giving officials the power to send players to the technical area for 10 minutes – mirroring similar protocols that are used in rugby union and other sports.

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has warned any proposal to introduce blue cards and sin bins will destroy football.

It was revealed on Thursday that a trial could commence soon where a blue card would be shown for dissent and professional fouls where the offenders would be sin binned for 10 minutes.

However, Postecoglou was unequivocal in his belief it would be a wrong move.

Pep Guardiola made four changes from his City side that beat Brentford in the Premier League on Monday.

Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku come in for Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva, with John Stones and Manuel Akanji replacing Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol in the defence.