Manchester City have swagger even without Sergio Aguero! Everton manager Roberto Martinez lauds champions
Manchester City have been without Sergio Aguero for a month
But players like Frank Lampard have pitched in with important goals
Roberto Martinez's Everton host the champions this weekend
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By Carl Markham, Press Association
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been impressed with the way Manchester City have coped without some of their biggest stars while his side have been crippled by a long injury list.
Strikers Sergio Aguero, scorer of 19 goals in 23 matches, and Edin Dzeko have not played for over a month, during which time City have won seven and drawn one.
Captain Vincent Kompany has been missing for all but one of the matches in that run, but City have still put together a sequence which has seen them draw level with Chelsea at the top of the table.
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has been impressed with Manchester City's resilience in recent weeks
City have been without striker Sergio Aguero for the last month after he picked up an injury against the Toffees
The clubs' budgets are vastly different, of course, but by contrast Everton have won just once in 10 games with the likes of goalkeeper Tim Howard, defenders Sylvain Distin, Tony Hibbert, Leighton Baines, John Stones, midfielders Steven Pienaar, Darron Gibson, James McCarthy and Leon Osman all missing for some or all of that spell.
Those absences, particularly at the back, have contributed to Everton having a defensive record which is beaten only by QPR in terms of goals conceded.
'Injuries always play a part. I don't think it helps when you have to change things around, especially in certain positions,' Martinez said, ahead of the visit of the defending champions.
'You want to have a consistent back line with the same understanding and partnerships, and that has cost us.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini (pictured on Thursday night) will be pleased they've kept the pace regardless
Captain Vincent Kompany has been missing for all but one of the matches in a decent run of form
'There are certain players you can replace better than others and it is not ideal when you cannot find solutions.
'But in the same way it has been a good period to find out about our characters and I still feel this squad is strong enough to be very successful.
'It is the time to get a couple of positive results and see how far we can go this season because I do feel the group is stronger than ever and more focused than even at the start of the season.
'Manchester City are playing with real swagger and arrogance and they don't need many chances to punish you.
'I have been very impressed in the way they have coped with big players missing.
'It is always a sign of a good unit when you have probably the most effective players on the pitch missing and you can carry on finding a way to score goals and win games.
Aguero has been in impressive form when fit - scoring 19 goals in 23 matches this campaign
Bosnian Edin Dzeko hasn't been fit since the Champions League win away at Roma on December 10
'It is not easy to lose strikers like Dzeko and Aguero for such a long time and go on such an unbelievable run.
'They have strong characters who can find solutions. Once they get the players back, the team could get a second boost in what is left of the season.'
Everton drew with West Ham in the FA Cup in midweek but they are looking to avoid a fifth successive Barclays Premier League defeat on Saturday.
This is their worst sequence in the league since they lost six on the trot in 2005, and the visit of City presents a real threat to the confidence gained from the West Ham result.
Frank Lampard has pitched in with important goals in the absence of Manchester City's main attacking threats
'It is one of those games where we need to take responsibility,' Martinez said.
'We are at home, we have had four really bad results and we need to put that right.
'It doesn't matter which opposition you are playing against you need to look at what we can do and we are looking to carry on the signs we showed against West Ham.
'When you play a team like City, you know you have to be at your very best because they will always take their opportunities, but the way we performed at the Etihad (in a 1-0 defeat) deserved more than we got and I think we are ready to face a team like City.
'But the margin of error against these sides is very small.'
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Manchester City have swagger even without star man Sergio Aguero, says Roberto Martinez