Everton boss Sean Dyche says the Friedkin Group's takeover of Everton from Farhad Moshiri has created a positive energy around the club.

The deal, completed last week, marks the start of a new chapter for the Toffees, who are unbeaten in three Premier League matches and four points clear of the bottom four. 

Dyche's side have kept clean sheets in all of those games, including a pair of goalless draws in their last two top-flight encounters against title hopefuls Arsenal and Chelsea.

It completes what has been a positive few weeks for the club, and Dyche is keen to capitalise ahead of a Boxing Day clash against struggling Manchester City at the Etihad. 

"This has been an indifferent period for many different reasons," Dyche said. "Expectations went higher, spending went lower, which is always a challenge when that happens.

"The ownership seems to have given a more balanced view of the club, a more positive outlook, which is helpful of course, and then it's for us to keep building on the pitch.

"There just seems to be an air of changing the mood about Everton Football Club. It seems to have lifted things."

Boxing Day in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/cz6Obarz7r

— Everton (@Everton) December 23, 2024

This weekend offers Everton's biggest chance of beating the Citizens, having won one of their last 22 Premier League meetings with City, losing 12 of the last 13. 

The Toffees have also not lost any of their last eight Boxing Day away games (W5 D3) since a 4-0 loss at Aston Villa in 2005.

Everton also won the last time they faced the reigning champions on this day, beating Leicester City 2-0 in 2016.

Pep Guardiola's side have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions(W1 D2), as many as they had in their previous 112.

Only in 2016-17 (10) and 2019-20 (12) has Guardiola suffered more defeats in a single campaign as manager, so Everton may not have a better chance of beating City. 

The Toffees will, however, be without Ashley Young for Thursday's early kick-off, with Dyche revealing the full-back suffered an unusual injury in their match against Chelsea. 

"Youngy is suspended anyway, but he ripped his neck at the far stick [against Chelsea]," Dyche added. 

"We had to take him off for both reasons – to make sure he was OK physically, and he was on a yellow card."

Young's absence is a huge blow for Dyche, with only Dwight McNeil (33) creating more chances in the Premier League for Everton this season than the 39-year-old (16).