Everton v Arsenal: Line-ups, stats and preview

Everton v Arsenal preview

Everton manager David Moyes will face a counterpart he signed as a player for the Toffees in 2005 when Mikel Arteta arrives with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday.

Arteta worked under Moyes for six years at Goodison Park, winning Player of the Season in his first two seasons after signing – and victory for the Scot over the Spaniard who served him so impressively could send the hosts fifth in the table.

“They’ve been setting really high standards for the last few years under Mikel, and probably longer,” said Moyes.

“They’re probably the best side in the country and, come the end of the season, they’ll have proof of whether that’s the case or not. They’ve been blowing everybody away and doing great.

“We’ve made big progress. Our progress will have to come steady… you can’t expect everything to go right very quickly.”

Everton’s run of two wins and clean sheets ended with a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea last Saturday. “Every win gives you that feeling that you’ve got a chance of making Europe,” reflected Moyes.

“Every defeat makes you think ‘let’s behave ourselves and think a little bit clearer.’ That’s just the way the Premier League is this season.

“The players are doing a really good job and have done a lot of good things. We’ve gone from being nearly a relegation team last season to doing pretty well this season.

“We’d like it to be better but we’re still quite happy with what we’re doing.”

That final line could also summarise Arteta’s assessment of £64 million summer signing Viktor Gyokeres, who was outstandingly prolific for former club Sporting and has six goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.

“Everybody was so excited to bring a number nine in,” acknowledged Arteta. “We bought a player with an incredible scoring record who had to adapt to the league.

“He had no pre-season. The first few weeks were difficult because physically he wasn’t in his best state and he’s a player who needs that, like any other player in this league, to perform at the level.

“Then he kicked on. He had a really good period and he got injured, and now he’s back. We need to continue to tweak and understand him a little bit better in certain situations and he needs to do the same.

“But that’s about time and we have full support for him. You can imagine the global impact that you’re going to have to deal with when you come to a big club and the expectations are as they are.

“He’s doing it with a lot of desire. His energy level, his commitment are absolutely top. We all need time – strikers have moments when they score more goals and fewer goals, and we need to be there for him.”

Saturday is the sixth anniversary of Arteta’s appointment. “I’d never coached at the highest level and I came to a club that was at a difficult stage in its history,” he said.

“You have to take this job day by day. I’ve done the same from day one: do your best, do what you feel, make sure that people are on board with you and what you do.

“In my job, it’s about winning football matches. That’s it.”

Everton v Arsenal team news

Defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman and midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are out until January with hamstring injuries for Everton.

Midfielder Idrissa Gueye and playmaker Iliman Ndiaye will be at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal until at least early January.

Jack Grealish had been a doubt after suffering an issue against Chelsea, but Moyes said the winger will be fit, while on-loan Freiburg midfielder Merlin Rohl could return from a hernia injury.

Gabriel (thigh) and Ben White (hamstring) are out until January for Arsenal, while fellow defender Cristhian Mosquera is not expected to return from an ankle injury until February.

Wideman Max Dowman also has an ankle problem and forward Kai Havertz is suffering from a knee injury.

Arteta said Martin Zubimendi has not featured fully in training because the Spain international is one of several players whose workload is being managed after playing a significant number of minutes.

“We make sure we look after him and he understands that every possibility and every chance you have to look after yourself, you have to take it in this league, because the demands are going to be really, really high,” Arteta said of the midfielder, who had been used to a winter break in Spain.

“He’s coping really, really well with the league, with all the challenges that the league brings. It’s a new club, a new country and he’s been exceptional.”

Everton v Arsenal predicted line-ups

Everton starting XI: Jordan Pickford, Jake O’Brien, James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Vitalii Mykolenko,
James Garner, Carlos Alcaraz, Tim Iroegbunam, Dwight McNeil, Jack Grealish, Thierno Barry

Arsenal starting XI: David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Piero Hincapie, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli

How to watch Everton v Arsenal: TV channel, live online stream

Kick-off on Saturday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra.

Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £28 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.

Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.

Streaming is available on a vast variety of devices via the Sky GO app.

Everton v Arsenal stats

• Both Premier League meetings between the sides last season ended level
• The teams last drew three in a row between November 2012 and December 2013, with Arteta playing 90 minutes in all three for Arsenal
• Everton have lost all five of their Premier League games against teams competing in the Champions League this season, accounting for 83% of their defeats (5/6) including both of their home losses (3-0 to Tottenham, 4-1 to Newcastle)
• Dwight McNeil could make his 100th Premier League appearance for Everton in this match and would be the fifth-youngest player (26 years and 28 days of age) to reach 100 for two different clubs (also 134 for Burnley), after Emile Heskey (24y 349d, Leicester and Liverpool), Joe Cole (24y 354d, West Ham and Chelsea), Frank Lampard (25y 236d, West Ham and Chelsea) and Jermaine Jenas (25y 312d, Newcastle and Spurs)
• Despite Arsenal conceding the fewest goals (10) and second-half goals (6) of any Premier League side this season, no team has conceded a higher share of their goals in the final 10 minutes of games than the Gunners (40% – 4/10)
• Arsenal have conceded the first goal in five of their last seven Premier League away games, including each of the last three in a row. They last conceded first in more consecutive away games between September and December 2019, just before Arteta took charge (5 games)
• Leandro Trossard has scored both of Arsenal’s away goals against Everton in the last two Premier League seasons. Their last player to score in three consecutive visits to the Toffees was Ian Wright between August 1995 and September 1997
• Leandro Trossard has been involved in nine goals in his last nine away Premier League appearances (6 goals, 3 assists), scoring (3) or assisting (1) in each of his last four. Their last player to score or assist in five in a row was Bukayo Saka between December and March in 2023/24
• Victory for Arsenal will see them top the table at Christmas for the third time in the last four seasons, having done so just twice in the first 30 Premier League campaigns
• They have, however,gone on to finish either 2nd (2002/03, 2022/23, 2023/24) or 3rd (2007/08) on each of those occasions

Everton v Arsenal prediction

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