Arsenal are in the thick of all four competitions, and the upcoming game on Saturday against Everton will be another big test of their character. The Gunners are in the EFL Cup final, which will be played next week, while they managed a 1-1 draw away at Bayer Leverkusen to take the second leg on home soil next week in a bid to move into the quarter-finals.
Mikel Arteta insisted his team were not ready against Bayer Leverkusen in the way he would have wanted, but his team managed not to lose. While it was a timid performance overall, Noni Madueke won a late penalty, which Kai Havertz converted from the spot to mark his return to the BayArena, which makes the second leg an all-important, must-win encounter.
In the Premier League, the Arsenal head coach is likely to treat every game as a must-win encounter, starting with his former side, Everton, this weekend. The Gunners managed a hard-fought 1-0 win away from home against Brighton & Hove Albion the last time out, which invited a barrage of criticism over their style of play led by Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler, but Arsenal will not pay any attention and remain focused on their task in the title race.
Everton will remember the time when Arsenal came to the Hill Dickinson Stadium earlier in the season and gave the Gunners a tough time. A Viktor Gyokeres penalty was enough to seal the points for Arsenal, but David Moyes will want a good performance at the Emirates.
This season, the Toffees can best be described as inconsistent, although they have managed consecutive victories over Newcastle United and Burnley before coming to the Emirates. The one big criticism of the Merseyside outfit is their inability to maintain composure and consistency throughout ninety minutes, as they have been performing very well in patches.
However, Everton, being the fourth-best away team in the division, cannot be ignored, as they have collected 24 of their 43 points on the road this term. Their record away at Arsenal is also something that will bother Moyes, as the Toffees have not managed a win in their last six league games here, meaning this will be a big test for the Merseysiders.
Mikel Arteta has stated that he might make some necessary changes that may also extend to tactics ahead of the next few games. There are no fresh injury concerns, although he did not risk playing those who were deemed doubtful in midweek despite having Leandro Trossard, Ben White, and Riccardo Calafiori as options on the bench.
There is still no news on Martin Odegaard’s return, but Kai Havertz stated he is ready for the big action ahead. There could be a place for the German international in the team, which could come at the expense of Viktor Gyokeres, and Arteta could indeed make some changes, particularly if Trossard is unfit to start the game against Everton.
The Arsenal head coach might retain the same back four against Everton, unless Calafiori is fit enough to start at left-back. Arteta would ideally like timely rotations for his overworked players, which includes Piero Hincapie, and he would want the Ecuadorian international to start the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.
Hence, there is a chance that the Italian defender might start, while the other members of the backline keep their places. Bukayo Saka had a timid performance in midweek, although this might be a game in which Arteta continues his experiment to play the star winger in a No. 10 role.
Such a move could see Havertz leading the line, with Noni Madueke occupying the left wing role. Given that Trossard is still a doubt to start the game, it might be Eberechi Eze occupying the left wing role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Saka, Eze; Havertz
Everton have had 11 days to rest and recover from the time they last played a game, owing to their absence from the FA Cup. David Moyes has most of his squad available for this trip to Arsenal, with the exception of Jack Grealish and Carlos Alcaraz, who are still missing from action.
There were ongoing doubts about Seamus Coleman, but Moyes expects the veteran to make the trip to North London. Jarrad Branthwaite was in the news as the defender missed a training camp, which sparked fears of another injury setback, as he had missed the first 22 games of the league season with a major hamstring problem.
Moyes has allayed any fears and insisted Branthwaite is fit to start, which could also be his fifth outing in a row from the get-go. Only three of his five starts have come in his preferred central position, and Moyes will once again play him there, with Vitaliy Mykolenko starting at left-back.
James Garner and Idrissa Gueye will manage the midfield setup for Everton against Arsenal. Dwight McNeil, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye will feature in the attacking setup in support of striker Beto.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Beto
Saka had a difficult night against Bayer Leverkusen, as a timid performance against Die Werkself ensured Mikel Arteta took him off the firing line in the second half. A lot has been said about his display in the game, but the weekend offers another chance to redeem himself, and the winger will be key to Arsenal’s success moving forward.
Arteta might possibly experiment with Saka in the No. 10 role against Everton, and irrespective of where the winger plays, he has to put in a big performance. With Arsenal’s displays becoming increasingly inconsistent of late, Saka has the power to correct that and put in a shift that will galvanise the team as well as himself ahead of some crucial upcoming games.
Everton will come into this game with some form on their side following back-to-back victories in the league, but their record at the Emirates is nothing short of abysmal. The away side’s current form may not be a hallmark for performances to come, but they are very well equipped to put up a fight against Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are struggling with scoring goals and stitching up patterns of play that will blow away the opposition. However, their defensive resilience could come in handy again, and Mikel Arteta’s charges could protect a slender advantage to get the game over the line and collect important points once again to stay in charge of the title race.
