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It will be a battle between the eighth and the ninth-placed teams when Everton takes on Arsenal in the Premier League on Friday. Both teams are part of the Europe chasing pack and are looking to end their seasons on a positive note. The Gunners need this win more than their opponents, though, with both Leeds United and Aston Villa catching them up from behind.
Arsenal are expected to be without Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Everton’s visit. The Arsenal captain was sidelined with an injury before their last match against Fulham. The Frenchman sustained one during their game against the cottagers.
Despite Lacazette’s injury, Arsenal did manage to draw their previous match 1-1. The Gunners fell behind to a Josh Maja penalty in the second half before hitting back with almost the last kick of the game. Substitute Eddie Nketiah popped up in stoppage time to rescue a point for the London side.
Everton, on the other hand, played out a 2-2 draw against Arsenal’s fierce rivals, Tottenham, in their last Premier League match. The Merseysiders fell behind thanks to a Harry Kane goal before Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a brace to turn the tie around. Defensive errors were to be Everton’s downfall on the night though, and Kane took advantage of one to earn a draw for his team late on.
Both Arsenal and Everton have been on poor runs of late. While the Gunners have only managed to win two of their last five matches, the Toffees have won none. They are coming into the match on the back of three straight draws and have fallen behind in the race to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Everton beat Arsenal in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Carlo Ancelotti’s side won that match 2-1, courtesy of an own goal by Rob Holding and a goal by Yerry Mina. Nicholas Pepe had scored for Arsenal that day, although his goal proved to be nothing more than a consolation.
Key Players
With both Lacazette and Aubameyang sidelined for this one, the attacking onus for Arsenal will fall on the young shoulders of Bukayo Saka. Thankfully, the Englishman has been one of the league’s best young players this season and a constant threat in an otherwise inconsistent Arsenal attack. Saka has scored seven times this season across all competition while also providing eight assists.
Despite losing both their starting forwards, Arsenal will be boosted by the return of Gabriel Martinelli to the starting eleven. The youngster was ruled out for much of the season through an injury and took time to build back his match fitness. Martinelli was picked by Arteta against Fulham and nearly rewarded his manager with an early goal. The Brazilian will hope to influence the match more positively this time around.
Everton’s early-season displays largely depended upon the form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, the Englishman has been overshadowed by his strike partner Richarlison lately. The striker has scored twelve times this season, although only six of those goals have come in the league. He also has three assists to his name and will be looking to add to that tally when his side visits Arsenal this weekend.
It was a transfer coup when Everton secured the services of James Rodriguez in the summer. The Colombian came to Goodison Park on a free transfer after rescinding his contract with Real Madrid. He has been the chief creator for Ancelotti’s side since and has nine assists across all competition. Rodriguez has also scored five times this season and will prove to be a nightmare for the Arsenal defence to deal with if left unchecked.
Prediction
Both Arsenal and Everton come into this match on a poor run of form. However, the Gunners do seem to have the edge historically over the Toffees. They like to play against this opposition more than any other and have beaten them 98 times so far in the top flight. This will be the 200th time the two teams meet in England’s top division.
The Gunners also hold a positive record against their next opponents. They are undefeated at home against the Toffees in 24 matches, with their last loss coming all the way back in 1996. Furthermore, Everton has not completed a double over Arsenal in the league since the 1985/86 season but will be looking to do so when the two teams meet this weekend.
Arsenal have some injury concerns ahead of this match, and that could allow Everton to take advantage. However, Arteta’s side still has enough talented players to hurt their opponents and take all three points from this one.
