Arsenal vs Everton
Date: 23/04/2021
K/O: 20:00
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Referee: Jonathan Moss
TV: Sky Sports Main Event
Following a week of chaos that brought six English clubs into disrepute, Arsenal are the fifth of said teams to face the cameras in a match. The opposition are Everton, a team higher than Arsenal in the table.
The debacle had Arsenal labelled as a top-six club in England, and the fact that such a team is placed ninth in the table is part of the reason the Super League sparked such fierce backlash. However, Arsenal did in fact apologise for the “mistake” of agreeing to participate in the competition, which is more than the other clubs did.
Nevertheless, focusing on the football straight ahead of us, Arsenal have a huge job to do if they are to reach Europe this season. A point was salvaged right at the death last week against Fulham, but three points would have been much more welcome as far as Mikel Arteta is concerned.
Gabriel Martinelli was a promising presence in that match for Arsenal and a welcome member of the squad following concerning injury spells this season. However, the midfielder missed a couple of glaring opportunities and the frustration thus comes with the fact that Arsenal were behind for half an hour and only clinched a point in the dying seconds. This composure requires improvement across the board for the Gunners.
After Spurs’ dramatic midweek victory, Everton will not be able to move up a position this weekend. However, they will still be on the hunt for three points to keep them in the running for the top four. In order to do this, Ancelotti needs to find a short-term solution to their defensive frailties so that Everton’s form doesn’t dwindle as it has been threatening to do this side of Christmas.
Everton dominated Arsenal’s rivals last weekend with a stellar display that saw former Lilywhite Gylfi Sigurdsson net a brace. The Icelandic’s form has dipped somewhat in recent weeks, but he could be back to his best after that specific match. The disappointing thing for Carlo Ancelotti is that two goals found their way in from the ever-potent Harry Kane, and both were largely the result of Everton mistakes.
Team News
Arsenal
It’s bad news for Arsenal in the attacking department, with Alexandre Lacazette not fit to play on Friday. The Frenchman picked up a hamstring injury in Sunday’s match. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is still recovering from malaria, although he is expected to begin training again this weekend.
Better news is that Martin Odegaard is expected to have some impact in Friday’s match. The Arsenal signee has been excellent since joining and will be eager to pick up where he left off, having been out since early April. A return to training could be on the horizon for defenders David Luiz and Kieran Tierney, but neither will be available before this weekend.
Everton
A heap of players have returned to fitness at a crucial point for Everton. Dominic Calvert-Lewin is obviously the most notable returnee, but Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph and Bernard are also all likely to be available for Friday’s fixture.
Sadly for Ancelotti, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are both suffering from long-term injuries and thus will both be out for at least another month.
Predicted Starting XIs
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno; Xhaka, Mari, Holding, Chambers; Partey, Ceballos; Pepe, Smith-Rowe, Saka; Nketiah
Everton (4-3-1-2): Pickford; Digne, Godfrey, Keane, Holgate; Sigurdsson, Davies, Allan; Rodriguez; Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison
Score Prediction: Arsenal 2-3 Everton
Although Everton’s form has trailed off in recent games, their spirit felt rejuvenated in their last match. If they carry this confidence into Friday evening’s fixture, it could end up being too much for Arsenal’s defence to handle.
