Arsenal host Everton at the Emirates Stadium in a blockbuster Super Sunday clash as both teams look to strengthen their bids for a top five finish.
A home win will see Arsenal leapfrog Everton and go eighth, whereas the Toffees could rise as high as sixth depending on how Manchester United and Wolves fare earlier in the afternoon.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesMesut Ozil is expected to be available for Arsenal after missing Thursday’s trip to Olympiacos for personal reasons.
Lucas Torreira (illness) is also expected to be in contention alongside Hector Bellerin (groin) and Pablo Mari (fitness) but Sokratis Papastathopoulos (knee) is doubtful.
Cedric Soares (knee), Kieran Tierney (shoulder) and Calum Chambers are still ruled out.
Everton will have Fabian Delph available after he served a one match ban last time out against Crystal Palace.
Andre Gomes (ankle) and Bernard (knock) are also set to be in contention but Theo Walcott (knee) looks a doubt and likely to join Jean-Phillipe Gbamin (thigh) on the sidelines.
Form
Arsenal enter this match on a six league match unbeaten run (W2, D4), whilst keeping just two clean sheets in their last five at home.
Everton come into this clash unbeaten in their last five outings (W3, D2), but have kept just two clean sheets in nine games under Carlo Ancelotti in all competitions.
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have lost just one of their last six meetings against Everton (W4, D1, L1).
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored for Arsenal in each of his two previous home appearances against Everton.
- Everton are winless in their last 25 trips to Arsenal in all competitions dating back to January 1997 (W21, D4).
- Arsenal have kept just two clean sheets in their last five home games against Everton.
- None of Arsenal’s 107 Premier League goals against Everton have come from the penalty spot.
Prediction
Given Everton’s woeful away form at Arsenal, this should be a relatively straight forward win for the Gunners if they continue their recent improvement in form with two clean sheets in the last week.
Olympiacos however had Arsenal on the ropes at times with their physical pacy gameplay in midweek, which to me suggests that Arsenal could struggle if Everton can come out and play in the same manner against a team who will probably be suffering fatigue.
I however do think that this could be a close game because both teams have made excellent progress under their new managers, but Everton really need to overcome their bogey ground if want to push for top five which I don’t see happening here if Arsenal continue to improve.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Everton
Result: Arsenal 3-2 Everton
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