Former Everton colleagues will meet again on the touchline at Goodison Park this Saturday at lunchtime as David Moyes’ Everton welcome Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Premier League.
The nostalgic reunion comes as Everton look to bounce back from a Merseyside derby defeat against Liverpool, while the Gunners are keen to extend their winning streak after edging Fulham in the London derby.
Arsenal are still hanging on to slim hopes that they can usurp Liverpool in the Premier League title race, but Toffees fans will buy Everton tickets, hoping their side can put paid to those plans.
This fixture carries significant weight for Arsenal. The result may not matter in the grand scheme of things, but anything other than a win will put the final nail in Arsenal’s title dream.
Match Preview
On a day that saw former Gunners Emile Smith Rowe, Bernd Leno, Willian, and Alex Iwobi return with Fulham, it was Bukayo Saka’s comeback that sparked the loudest cheers.
Thriving in his makeshift role as a striker, Mikel Merino set Arsenal on the path to victory after breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute.
His effort took a fortunate deflection that gave the hosts the lead.
However, the moment of the match came just six minutes after Saka came off the bench.
Making his first appearance of the year after recovering from a serious hamstring injury, the winger nodded in a well-placed header at the back post.
Fulham pulled one back through Rodrigo Muniz in the dying moments, denying Arsenal a clean sheet but not the victory.
The 2-1 result ensured the Gunners held onto their four-point cushion over third-placed Nottingham Forest.
While the Premier League title may soon be out of reach, Arsenal’s grip on a Champions League spot remains firm.
With pressure easing slightly ahead of their two-legged Champions League clash with Real Madrid, Arteta’s side can now turn focus to European ambitions.
Before that, they’ll look to continue an impressive unbeaten run away from home when they visit Goodison Park.
Merseyside hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for Arsenal, whether facing Liverpool or Everton, but Saka’s return will give Arteta’s side the impetus to go for the jugular and keep their momentum going.
In their last 26 Premier League away games combined against Everton and Liverpool, Arsenal have managed just three wins – a statistic that may give Everton boss David Moyes a psychological edge.
The Toffees head into the clash with a point to prove.
Their impressive nine-game unbeaten Premier League run was halted in midweek in a painful 1-0 defeat against fierce rivals Liverpool.
That match could’ve taken a darker turn, too, with defender James Tarkowski lucky to escape a red card for a wild challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.
That defeat was Everton’s first in the league since January 15 and extended their winless streak to five games, with four draws preceding the derby disappointment.
Nevertheless, the Toffees are in no danger of dropping into the relegation zone as they sit 14 points clear of the bottom three with eight games remaining.
Moyes’s influence has undoubtedly lifted spirits, but recent defensive issues continue to haunt his side.
Diogo Jota’s winner on Wednesday means Everton have now conceded in eight straight matches across all competitions and in six of their last seven at Goodison Park.
When Arsenal last visited in the 2023/24 campaign, they left with a 1-0 victory – snapping a five-game winless run at Goodison.
However, a goalless draw at the Emirates in December has opened the door for a rare feat.
Should Everton keep another clean sheet, it would mark the first time in well over a century that they’ve shut out Arsenal in both league meetings in a season.
Key Stats
The reverse clash between the two sides in December ended goalless.
That paves the way for Arsenal to achieve something they haven’t managed since the 2011/12 season – keep a clean sheet in both league meetings against Everton.
Scoring against the Toffees has usually not been an issue for Arsenal, but they’ll want to avoid a rare statistical setback.
The last time they failed to score in both league fixtures against Everton in a season dates all the way back to 1912/13.
Recent trips to Merseyside have also posed a challenge for Arteta’s side.
Across all competitions, Arsenal have won just three of their last 26 away games against Everton and Liverpool combined (D10, L13) – they had won six of their seven visits before that run.
However, the Gunners’ current away form offers plenty of optimism. They are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games on the road (W5, D5). Only Liverpool are on a longer unbeaten away streak in the top flight (17 games).
Since the beginning of 2024, Arsenal have earned more away points than any other team (52) and conceded the fewest goals (16) during that spell.
Meanwhile, Everton’s strong form against Arsenal has faded in recent meetings.
After winning four out of five league games between December 2020 and February 2023, they’ve failed to win any of the last four encounters (D1, L3).
Last season, they lost this same fixture 1-0, despite being unbeaten in the five previous home meetings with Arsenal.
They’ve not lost consecutive home league games against the Gunners since a run of three between 2009 and 2012.
Goodison Park is still a difficult place for Arsenal to visit.
Everton have lost only two of their last 13 Premier League home games (W4, D7), drawing each of their last three.
They haven’t drawn four consecutive home league matches since early 2015.
Moyes’ early record against Arsenal was strong, but he seems to have lost his formula for the Gunners in recent years.
After winning three of his first five Premier League home games against the Gunners between 2002 and 2007 (D1, L1), he’s won just one of the last 13 (D5, L7), picking up a 1-0 win as Manchester United manager in 2013.
Team News
Arsenal were dealt another huge blow when Gabriel Magalhaes pulled up just 16 minutes into the London derby against Fulham.
Jurrien Timber also picked up a knock in that game, but unlike his Brazilian counterpart, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season, the Dutchman may still have a part to play in the run-in.
Arsenal are also without Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz.
On Everton’s side, they’re without Orel Mangala, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Jesper Lindstrom.
Everton potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitaly Mykolenko; Idrissa Gueye, James Garner; Iliman Ndiaye, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Carlos Alcaraz; Beto.
Arsenal potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): David Raya; Thomas Partey, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Declan Rice; Ethan Nwaneri, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli.
