Saturday’s Premier League programme gets underway at Goodison Park as relegation-battling Everton entertain table-topping Arsenal in a high-stakes fixture.
A 2-0 defeat in a relegation-six pointer at West Ham United a fortnight ago was the final straw to break the camel’s back as the Toffees sacked underperforming manager Frank Lampard in the aftermath.
Former Burnley boss Sean Dyche has joined the club to reignite Everton’s hopes of securing survival, but based on the Merseysiders’ current form, it will be a mammoth task.
They have lost their last three Premier League matches, two of which via multi-goal margins, and start this round two points below safety with the worst win ratio in the division of a mere 15%.
By contrast, Arsenal eked out an all-important 3-2 derby win over Manchester United in their most recent league outing, maintaining a five-point lead on second-placed Manchester City.
With a game in hand, the Gunners are in firm control of their bid to win the title for the first time in almost two decades, though last weekend’s 1-0 FA Cup loss to Man City may have dampened their spirits.
However, Mikel Arteta’s men are no longer afraid of showcasing their scoring potential on the road, having won their last three away league games by multi-goal margins, including a 2-0 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur.
Match Preview
Everton
Everton are experiencing their worst winless run in the Premier League since 1994, going eight straight fixture without winning (D2, L6), including four consecutive defeats at Goodison.
Although it looks a bit far-fetched, Arsenal’s visit to Merseyside could flip the script for the out-of-sorts Toffees, considering they’ve won their last two league H2Hs on home turf.
Indeed, Dyche could paint his touchline debut with flying colours, as Everton’s win here would see them register three top-flight home wins over the Gunners for the first time since 1978.
Arsenal
There’s a piece of history up for grabs as Arsenal are gunning for a fourth straight Premier League away win by a multiple-goal margin for the first time since 1953.
Arteta’s men come into the matchday amid a purple patch, having gone unbeaten in their last 13 top-flight fixtures (W11, D2), including a pair of wins over Man Utd and Tottenham in the build-up to this encounter.
Worryingly, the Gunners have suffered three defeats in their last four meetings with Everton in the Premier League (W1), suggesting a victory at Goodison is all but a foregone conclusion.
Everton vs Arsenal Potential Line-ups
Everton (4-4-2): Jordan Pickford; Seamus Coleman, James Tarkowski, Conor Coady, Vitaliy Mykolenko; Alex Iwobi, Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana, Dwight McNeil; Demarai Gray, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli; Eddie Nketiah.
How to Watch?
Everton vs Arsenal, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.
Everton vs Arsenal Prediction
Dyche couldn’t have hoped for a sterner test on his debut, although Everton’s recent home fortunes against Arsenal may inspire some confidence in the home camp.
But we believe the Gunners have the quality and momentum to post their first Premier League triumph at Goodison since 2017.
Everton 0-2 Arsenal
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