Arsenal visit an abattoir which they have dreaded in recent seasons to face Sean Dyche’s Everton on Sunday, September 17, 2023, an encounter that often delivers epic spectacle.
Mikel Arteta’s side are winless in their last 5 Premier League meetings against Everton at Goodison Park, with their last victory at this ground coming on Sunday, October 22, 2017.
The Toffees have had a disastrous start to the season, but they understand what it means to play against Arsenal.
They were on a run of 8 games without a victory in the Premier League, when Sean Dyche took over in February 2023.
Everton Vs Arsenal
Dyche’s first game as manager of Everton was against Arsenal, and he led them to a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over the North London side.
James Tarkowski scored in the 60th minute of action, and despite the Gunners’ enthusiasm, they couldn’t score the equalizer.
However, Arsenal are coming into this game with additional reinforcements, and those additions might be pivotal in the game on Sunday, September 17, 2023.
The Gunners are unbeaten after four matches in the Premier League, with 3 wins and 1 draw.
Mikel Arteta’s side began the season with a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest, before recording a slim win over Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace.
In Matchday 3, Fulham held their own against the North London side to secure a 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
Before the international break, Arsenal defeated Manchester United by 3-1, leveling matters after Marcus Rashford had put the away side ahead.
Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus scored stoppage-time goals to stun Erik Ten Hag’s side in an entertaining evening of football.
Everton recorded subsequent losses against Fulham, Aston Villa, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, before picking up their first point of the season against Sheffield United.
The encounter also saw them score their first goal of the 2023/24 season, with Abdoulaye Doucoure taking them in front.
Cameron Archer equalized for Sheffield United, and Jordan Pickford put the ball into his net for the Blade’s second goal.
Arnaut Danjuma afterward stood tall in the 55th minute, helping Everton salvage a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane.
Where would the pendulum swing on Sunday? Everton or Arsenal?
Sunday’s game has a lot in store for both teams and depending on where the pendulum swings, a lot of pointers could be drawn from the game.
If Arsenal does record a victory at a ground where they have experienced difficulty in recent years, then it could signal the possibility of them genuinely going on to win the Premier League title.
However, if Everton does secure a victory, it could be a case of regular occurrence repeating itself. It could also be a sign of their renaissance this season.
Meanwhile, in the last 29 meetings between the two clubs, Sean Dyche’s side have won 7, while Arsenal have won 17, with 5 of those games ending in draws.
Teams News For Everton
Before we touch on the Toffees injury list, let’s touch on the ownership saga involving Farhad Moshiri and 777 Partners.
According to a statement from Everton, “777 Partners has signed an agreement with Farhad Moshiri to acquire his full stake in Everton Football Club, which accounts for 94.1 percent of the Club’s shares.”
This shows that Everton will in the coming months be sold to 777 Partners, although it is still subject to “regulatory approval, including from the Premier League, the Football Association, and the Financial Conduct Authority.”
Meanwhile, James Tarkowski has reportedly shaken off his facial injury picked up in the dying embers of their 2-2 draw against Sheffield United and he should be back in action against Arsenal.
Seamus Coleman, and Dele Alli, remain on the sideline as a result of injuries.
It is uncertain if Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andre Gomes, Lewis Dobbin, and Michael Keane, would feature in the game as they remain as injury doubts for the clash.
Team News For Arsenal
Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, and Mohammed Elneny are nursing injuries and they remain absent until further notice.
Mohamed Elneny isn’t 100% fit, but he is getting back to full fitness after he was spotted training following his recovery from a knee injury.
Brazilian trio, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus are all expected to feature in the game.
Bukayo Saka has reportedly been nursing an Achilles issue for months, but nothing major has been reported about the injury. As such, he should start for Arsenal against Everton.
Eddie Nketiah is also expected to lead the attack for the Gunners in their visit to Goodison Park.
Everton’s potential starting lineup:
Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Godfrey, Young, Onana, Gueye; Garner, Doucoure, Danjuma, Beto
Arsenal’s potential starting lineup:
Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli
Prediction: Everton 1-1 Arsenal
The Toffees are riding on history and recent history has been reprised even in the most shocking of times.
Sean Dyche’s first game managing the side in February 2023 showed that, Arsenal were even in a more boisterous form going into that game.
However, Everton still dug deep to secure the 3 points, but they might not get all three points on Sunday, September 17, 2023, although, they should do enough to get a draw.
Arsenal might not be defeated this time around, as they would want to show that they have learned from their last visit to Goodison Park.
Kick-off Time: 04:30 PM (BST)
