Former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta returns to face his old club on Saturday night as Arsenal travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to take on the Toffees in the Premier League.
Arsenal come into the match after edging past struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, while Everton were beaten convincingly by Club World Cup holders Chelsea.
What looked on paper like a routine fixture for the league leaders nearly turned into a disaster at the Emirates. Arsenal produced one of their poorest performances of the season and were fortunate to escape with all three points. Wolves appeared to have earned a draw through Tolu Arokodare, only for Yerson Mosquera to turn the ball into his own net deep into stoppage time, echoing a similarly cruel moment earlier in the campaign.
The 2-1 win was met more with relief than celebration, but it allowed Arteta’s side to preserve their two point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table. Signs of fatigue are beginning to show, however. Arsenal have managed just one clean sheet in their last six league games and have conceded first in each of their last three away matches.
A win on Merseyside would guarantee that Arsenal remain top of the table on Christmas Day, though history offers a warning. On each of the four occasions they have led the league on December 25 in the Premier League era, they have failed to go on and win the title.
Everton approach the weekend with a sense of optimism of their own. A positive run of four wins from their last six matches has lifted them to ninth place, and with only small gaps separating them from several teams above, a strong set of results could even open the door to a push towards the top five.
That momentum was checked last weekend by a 2-0 defeat away to Chelsea, a result that also underlined a recurring theme this season. Five of Everton’s six league defeats have come against Champions League calibre opposition, highlighting the distance that still exists between them and the elite.
Home form has also dipped after a strong start at their new stadium. Having gone unbeaten in their first five home games of the campaign, Everton have now lost two of their last four, reducing the sense of invincibility they once enjoyed.
Still, Arsenal will be wary. Everton held them to two draws last season and have lost just once in their last seven home league meetings with the Gunners, even if this latest encounter no longer takes place at Goodison Park.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Arsenal’s latest injury setback came early in Saturday’s win over Wolves when Ben White was forced off in the first half after pulling up during a sprint. The defender is dealing with a hamstring issue and is expected to be sidelined for at least a month.
White joins Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz and Max Dowman on the treatment table, although there is some positive news for Mikel Arteta as Riccardo Calafiori returns after serving a one match suspension. With White unavailable, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Piero Hincapie are likely to shift across to cover on the right, while Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard are expected to return in more advanced roles.
Everton are also grappling with injury concerns. Midfield linchpin Kiernan Dewsbury Hall was forced off just 16 minutes into the defeat against Chelsea with a hamstring problem, an issue that will rule him out of Saturday’s game. Jack Grealish is also a doubt after experiencing tightness in the same match.
The Toffees’ problems are compounded by the absence of Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, both of whom have departed for Africa Cup of Nations duty. In addition, Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman and Merlin Rohl are all unavailable due to ongoing injury issues and will miss the visit of the league leaders.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; O'Brien, Keane, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Garner, Iroegbunam; Dibling, Alcaraz, Grealish; Barry
Arsenal Possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard
EXPERT PREDICTION
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
