Arsenal return to action after their first weeklong non-international break since August when they travel to face Everton for a Saturday night affair.
The midweek let-off couldn’t have come at a better time. The Gunners played with fire and nearly got burned by Wolves last Saturday, needing a 94th minute own goal to secure all three points at home against the league’s worst side. The match was the most tepid 90 minutes by Arsenal this season, and the performance raised a few eyebrows and questions.
Players were rightly frustrated after their uncharacteristic display, leading to a reportedly fiery but friendly discussion in the locker room after the match as they sought to resolve their rocky form.
A December slump is no stranger to the Gunners. The last two seasons have seen Arsenal hit a wall, lose steam, and drop points in matches they were favored in during the end-of-year run. Injuries, as they seemingly always do, played their part, but the fatigue of playing a match every three days caught up with them. They enter this winter fixture list on the heels of several uninspiring results and a bevy of injuries once again, but with far better depth and, most importantly, the top spot in the league table.
The Gunners now begin a stretch of five league fixtures that they dropped points in last season, starting with a tricky fixture at Everton. Their hunger to win the title is no secret, and righting the wrongs of last season will go a long way to cement their aspirations. With a much-needed week off behind them, can they put last week’s performance behind them and recapture their league-leading form?
Here are three talking points ahead of Saturday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Everton enter Saturday’s match in 9th place, with 24 points from their first 16 matches with a record of 7W/3D/6L.
The Toffees’ biggest change this season was their move to their brand new grounds at Hill Dickinson stadium after over a century at Goodison Park. Would a sparkling new arena inspire an elevation in their game?
Not entirely. At least, not so far. Everton have been good-but-not-great in David Moyes’ first full season back in charge after rejoining the club in January. They have been much more consistent than in past seasons, but have failed to break through with any standout performances, aside from one of the season’s most hilarious results when they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0 after going down to 10 men.
They are, statistically, just about where they should be. Their attacking stats put them in the bottom half of the league, but they are bolstered by solid defensive stats that place them in the top half of the table. There isn’t any one thing that they excel at to a high degree, but they don’t have any glaring deficiencies. They are physical and good in the air, which means the Gunners will need to find an attacking approach that isn’t reliant on wide players whipping in crosses on repeat.
One of larger storylines heading into Saturday’s match will be how they will fare without top scorer Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, who have both left to represent their countries at the African Cup of Nations. Both players have been key cogs in Moyes’ set-up, with Ndiaye featuring in every match for the Toffees so far this season. His 4 goals, and Gueye’s industrious contributions in the midfield, will certainly be missed, but good managers foresee these issues and plan ahead, so there isn’t any reason to expect the hosts to be unable to cope with their absences.
Much like Arsenal, the hosts are enduring key injuries of their own, which is much harder to navigate. Seamus Coleman, Jarod , and Merlin Rohl are all expected to be out for Saturday, while Jack Grealish and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall are both potential scratches with thigh injuries.
Injuries & Suspensions
The injury carousel is exhausting, and I’d like to get off.
Ben White was added to the injured list when he was forced off in the 1st half of Saturday’s holding his hamstring. It was his 4th consecutive start since returning from his previous injury, and very frustrating after he began to show a return to form. The early prognosis has him sidelined for at least a month, which puts him on schedule to rejoin with the likes of Gabi and Mosquera.
OUT: Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh), Ben White (hamstring), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Kai Havertz (knee)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Trossard, Gyökeres, Saka
At this stage, Leandro Trossard has stamped his name on the left wing spot for Arsenal in the Premier League. He has flourished this season and has built a solid rapport with Calafiori behind him, and he seems to be one of the few players willing to make penetrative passes in the attack. He also loves a goal at Everton, having scored in the Gunners’ last two visits. Viktor Gyökeres starts again as he looks to break his scoring drought. If he is to succeed, the supporting cast around him needs to do more to find him. Bukayo Saka was the lone standout against Wolves, and will hopefully continue to be the game-changing influence he was last weekend.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Ødegaard
Arsenal’s midfield were uncharacteristically poor against Wolves. Despite getting all three points, Declan Rice’s frustration was evident as the final whistle blew. Martin Zubimendi was subbed in the 2nd half and also seemed to exude a noticeable level of discontent. Martin Ødegaard came on for Eberechi Eze as Mikel Arteta is still trying to figure out how to get the best out of the new signing. They will all need to elevate their game on Saturday. The blueprint for beating Arsenal starts with negating their midfield, and if they aren’t up to the task, it will be another long day on the pitch.
Defense: Calafiori, Hincapie, Saliba, Timber
After yet another injury, the defense is in desperate need of stability, with the recent returns a far cry from their record-setting defensive run earlier in the season. Riccardo Calafiori is back, but the defense is down to 5 players for 4 positions. Calafiori enters with fresh legs after missing Saturday’s match through suspension and will hopefully continue his run of form as a chaotic presence that other sides cannot deal with. The only potential change that could happen would be having Calafiori move to LCB with Myles Lewis-Skelly slotting in as the LB in case Arteta thinks Hincapie needs a breather. With Gabi out, it’s a safe bet that Arteta will want to keep Hincapie centrally to continue building his chemistry with Saliba.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya faced far more attempts than was remotely necessary on Saturday but dealt with them fine. There was little he could do about the goal conceded, and he’s still the man for the job.
For all of the concerns about Arsenal’s recent dip in form, they are still in the driver’s seat and setting the pace for the rest of the pack. Good teams endure slumps and poor performances; great ones grow from them. This side knows what they are capable of and are no doubt ready to prove themselves once more as they embark on a stretch of matches that runs through February before their next breather. A confident display at Everton would do wonders for a side that is capable of greatness.
WHO: Arsenal at Everton
WHAT: Premier League match day 17
WHEN: Saturday, December 20th, 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PST/8:00pm GMT
WHERE: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Peacock app
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