Everton vs Arsenal preview: team news, predicted Gunners lineup, Arteta's record for and against Toffees & more

⚕️ Team news

🔴 Arsenal

(via Arsenal FC)

• Thomas Partey is still sidelined, no timeline on his recovery has been given by the medical team.
• David Luiz (head) will be assessed before the game.
• Gabriel Martinelli (knee) is "close to being available" but is not fully fit yet.
• Xhaka and Gabriel will miss the game through suspensions.
• Hector Bellerin returns, having served his one-match ban after picking up 5 yellow cards.

🔵 Everton

(via Everton FC)

• Allan (hamstring) and James Rodriguez (calf) have been ruled out of the Arsenal clash.
• Fabian Delph, Lucas Digne are unavailable through injuries.
• Seamus Coleman returns after recovering from a muscle injury.

📜 Form (Premier League)

🔴 Arsenal: LDLLLD

🔵 Everton: LWLDWW

🔮 Predicted Gunners lineup

(via Tribuna)

• We believe Arteta would opt for a back-five shape in order to try to catch the Toffees on the break.
• Saka probably needs some rest but the Everton game is way more important than the League Cup match vs Man City, so we think he'll start.
• Pablo Mari is likely to replace Gabriel. The Spanish centre-back is similarly left-footed and is equally good at distributing the ball.
• Willian is likely to return following the omission vs So'ton. Pepe did not produce anything spectacular against the Saints, so we think Arteta will go for his favourite (and Mikel seems to forget that he can play Reiss Nelson in the Premier League).
• Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney, Saka; Ceballos, Elneny; Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang

🧮 Stats & Trivia

(via Tribuna, BBC)

• After Theo Walcott's mid-week strike against Arsenal, we have to be extra careful with another ex-Gunner set to face his old side: Alex Iwobi.
• The Nigerian was sold to Everton back in 2019, and he has already faced the Gunners on two occasions (a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park and a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates).
• Overall, Iwobi has recorded 3 goals and 4 assists in 43 games for the Toffees so far.
• Mikel Arteta returns to the familiar stadium. He spent 7 years at Everton, making 174 EPL appearances for the Toffees before completing a move to Arsenal in August 2011.
• As an Arsenal player, Arteta played against Everton 7 times; the Gunners won on 3 occasions (D3 L1).
• As a manager, Mikel has faced the Toffees on one occasion: in February. The Gunners secured a 3-2 victory.
• And Everton forward Calvert-Lewin is an Arsenal fan, as his old tweet suggests (he has deleted the post).
• Arsenal have 34 EPL wins against Everton, more than against any other side.
• The Gunners are on a six-game winless run and have made their worst league start in 46 years.
• Liverpool is currently in Tier 2 so 2,000 fans will be watching the game at Goodison Park.

💬 Managers' quotes

🔴 Mikel Arteta, Arsenal:

(via Arsenal FC)

"It is always really tough to go to Goodison, I played there and know them really well. They are teams in two different moments but we are preparing the game to go there and beat them, because we need a result."

🔵 Carlo Ancelotti, Everton:

(via Everton FC)

"The top of the table is really compressed. We don’t want to look too far. At this moment we have an important game against Arsenal, who are a strong team, and we prepare to do our best. Our momentum is good and we want to keep this."

How do you think the game will unfold?