Depleted Everton begin the busy festive season with a home match against leaders Arsenal on Saturday night.
This game was always circled in the calendar as being the first without Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye, who have now departed for AFCON. But their loss is compounded by an increasing injury list.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is the latest casualty. It was such a blow to see him limp off at Chelsea last week just as he was hitting his best form. His versatility has also helped to plug gaps in Everton’s
creaking midfield.
Jack Grealish also reportedly tweaked his hamstring at Stamford Bridge, though he is set to start. It does, though, highlight the paucity of options beyond the first-choice XI. It is little surprise that David Moyes is considering recalling Harrison Armstrong from his loan from Preston in January.
Tyler Dibling would be the obvious candidate to replace Ndiaye – that certainly felt like the plan when he signed in the summer. But the former Southampton man has barely played, suggesting Moyes isn’t quite ready to throw him in. Dwight McNeil, who has begun to feature more in recent weeks, is probably more likely to come in.
This certainly represents a tough start to the Christmas period. But the next four games are against sides currently in the bottom six of the table. Weary legs and a thin squad will act as a leveller of course, but it represents a great chance to get more points on the board and continue to look up instead of down.
The opposition
After three successive second-place finishes, is this finally Arsenal’s year? The next few weeks could be pivotal.
Mikel Arteta has been allowed time to build at the Emirates – he was appointed on the same day as Carlo Ancelotti, Moyes is our fourth since then. But the 2020 FA Cup is his only piece of silverware to date. Sooner or later, he will need to deliver results.
For large spells this season, it looked like Arsenal were destined for the title. They were the only consistent side in the league and conceded just three goals in their opening 10 league games, whilst the trailing pack floundered.
They remain imperious at home, but head to Bramley-Moore without a win in three away games, though two were draws and the one defeat came in the final seconds at in-form Aston Villa.
That minor blip has allowed Manchester City to narrow the gap to two points. Suddenly, the title race is on again. Will Arsenal feel the pressure on the banks of the Mersey? They were nervy against Wolves last time out but still got the job done, suggesting they now have the steel to go with their finesse in tough moments.
Previous meeting
Everton 1–1 Arsenal, 5 April 2025
There was an end-of-season feel to the previous meeting in April, as the sides played out a 1–1 draw at a sunny Goodison Park, which was edging closer to its grand farewell.
Leandro Trossard gave the Gunners a half-time lead, but Iliman Ndiaye earned the Toffees a point after the break.
Team news
As we already knew, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye are away with AFCON and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is out with a hamstring problem. Moyes said he was “doing well” but would not give a timescale on his recovery.
Jack Grealish is fit, though, and Merlin Röhl could also return to the squad after hernia surgery.
Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman are still out with hamstring injuries.
Final word
A night game on the final Saturday before Christmas should ensure a rowdy atmosphere as fans pour out of city centre bars and along the dock road. The atmosphere will be helped by a pre-match display organised by the excellent 1878s. But Arsenal will represent the kind of test we have regularly failed this season – think Spurs and Newcastle at home. The first goal and the defending of set pieces will be critical.
