This is a mouth watering clash between two well matched teams with different aspirations. While Arsenal want to have a go at the title, Everton would want a Champions League spot next year. Both teams didn’t have a convincing start to the season as the Gunners needed a late Ramsey winner in their opening League match while they played out a tame 0-0 draw against Besiktas. Everton conceded their lead twice to Leicester and played a 2-2 draw in their first game. Both teams would love to fight it out for the three points.
Everton vs Arsenal Team News
Everton:
Everton has to deal with injuries to Ross Barkley, Arouna Koné and Bryan Oviedo. While the latter two were nursing injuries since last season itself, Barkley injured himself last week and could miss around 6 weeks with a leg injury.
John Stones is likely to be replaced by last season’s hero Seamus Coleman at Right Back. Most of the other team is fit and is expected to play a part. Last match’s goalscorers McGeady and Naismith will likely be starting.
Arsenal:
They have a new bunch of injury concerns as captain Mikel Arteta also joined with an ankle injury. Kerian Gibbs, Theo Walcott, Serge Gnabry, Ryo Miyaichi as well as Yaya Sanogo would be missing this match.
Add to this the unfit German world cup winners and Arsenal have a very depleted squad for this match. With Giroud being inconsistent, as we saw against Besiktas, they have only him and Sanchez and a young Joel Campbell for the forwards role.
Key Tactics:
Arsenal and Everton are expected to play an end to end game. The Merseysiders would be more direct than Arsenal as they have big man Lukaku up front who can feed of aerial passes and through balls. After last season’s misery at Goodison park, Wenger would want his men to stand up for this occasion and prove their worth.
Arsenal would like to base their attacks on quick incisive passing and movement off the ball. They would need to be clinical against a strong Everton defence. The combination of new boys Sanchez and Debuchy on the right flank would mean that Leighton Baines will have to think twice before marauding forward as he does usually.
Everton vs Arsenal Match Facts:
- Everton’s victory against Arsenal in April ended a run of 13 without one against the Gunners in the Barclays Premier League.
- Arsenal are the only away team to score six goals in a Premier League game at Goodison Park (in August 2009).
- Steven Naismith has scored four and assisted two in his last nine Premier League appearances.
- Arsenal have now gone four games without a win against Everton, their worst such run in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have not won their opening two league games since 2009 (which included a win against Everton).
- Everton have scored at least two goals in each of their last six Premier League home games.
- But two of the Toffees’ last three Premier League home games have seen them lose 3-2.
- Arsenal won more away games than any other Premier League team in 2013-14 (11), yet ended the season with a goal difference of only +2 on the road.
Facts compiled from uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
Key Men:
Lukaku, Baines, Barry( Everton)
Ramsey, Sanchez, Cazorla (Arsenal)
Everton vs Arsenal Possible Lineups:
Everton: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; McCarthy, Barry; McGeady, Naismith, Pienaar; Lukaku
Arsenal: Szczesny; Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Ramsey; Cazorla, Wilshere, Sanchez; Giroud
Everton vs Arsenal Prediction:
Everton 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal may look to use one or two of their German players to add depth. Even without that, they still possess an edge over their Merseyside opposition in terms of quality players, yet, you never know who’ll step up and perform for the Blues as well. Goodison is a tough place to visit, and this match would be a close game. The author goes with Arsenal nicking the result.