Arsenal will be gunning for revenge when they host Everton at the Emirates Stadium tonight.
Mikel Arteta’s team lost 1-0 to Everton at the Goodison Park earlier last month in Sean Dyche’s first match as Everton’s manager.
That loss coupled with their one all draw against Brentford and a 3-1 defeat to Man City temporarily saw Arsenal vacate the top place in the Premier League, but the Gunners were able to reclaim that spot following their 4-2 and 1-0 wins against Aston Villa and Leicester respectively.
They seem to have found their winning formula again and will want to keep it up against Everton as they will be aware that a win will take them five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Everton, who are still languishing in the 18th position on the log will want to return to winning ways after losing their last match to Aston Villa. They will have it at the back of their mind that a win at Emirates will get them out of the relegation zone.
It is going to be a tough paper for the Toffees as they have managed to register just one win away from home this season.
“We have to go into these games with a belief in what we do and it’s mainly the consistency – the consistency of performance home and away. It’s well known that apart from the [COVID] pandemic season, most clubs have a stronger home form,” Sean Dyche told the media during a pre-match press conference on Monday, as quoted by everton.com.
He added, “There are all kinds of scientific reasons – higher testosterone in players from playing in front of the home crowd and all kinds of different things. [..] You want players to go away from home with a strong jaw and a strong mentality to how it’s going to test you. That’s something we’ve got to build here.”
Arteta expects nothing from his players but three points against the Toffees. Still, he knows it could be a competitive encounter having managed to beat Sean Dyche only once in six encounters.
“We have to improve. Obviously with Sean, it’s quite clear what he’s done and where the success they’ve had is coming from. Tomorrow we’ll prepare the game in an appropriate and similar way [to the away match]. But with every manager, it’s the same.
“We have to look at certain matches; what they do and try to get the right tactics to beat them – and as well the same mentality and expectation of what we demand in the game,” Arteta said, as quoted by arsenal.com.
Team news
Arsenal only have Thomas Partey to worry about as he tries to get back into playing rhythm after missing a few matches. Gabriel Jesus and Mohammed Elneny are out injured. Emile Smith-Rowe and new signing Jakub Kiwior got some minutes with the U-21s so they could be available for selection. Everyone else is available.
Everton will miss the services of Andros Townsend (knee), Nathan Patterson (knee), and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (hamstring) who are injured.
