Arsenal vs Everton – News and Probable Lineups

Arsenal will be looking to secure their third consecutive Premier League victory when they face an Everton team that could experience their third successive league match without a win at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday.

With a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest last weekend, Mikel Arteta’s squad has managed to keep pace with Manchester City, while Everton encountered their first defeat of the season, losing 2-0 to Chelsea.

Match overview

During their last outing at the City Ground, Arsenal appeared destined for a goalless stalemate against Nottingham Forest for the third time in a row until Arteta made tactical substitutions that changed the game’s course.

After a lackluster first half from Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke seized his opportunity in the second half, scoring a crucial 80th-minute goal – albeit with a deflection – which allowed Arsenal to remain just three points behind the unbeaten Manchester City in the Premier League table.

The Sky Blues will look to extend their lead to six points – at least temporarily – by overcoming Aston Villa in the early kickoff, but evidence from the Emirates suggests that Arteta’s team will quickly close the gap again.

Indeed, the Gunners have claimed victory in all three of their home matches in the Premier League this season, and they have won their last six top-flight games at the Emirates in total, conceding just two goals in the process.

Despite facing criticism regarding their allegedly ‘boring’ style of play, Arsenal managed to score two or more goals for the fifth time in their last seven matches on Wednesday night, securing a commendable 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich, largely thanks to Eze’s rapid redemption.

Desperate to end their nine-year absence from European competition, Everton shares Arsenal’s impressive record of only one Premier League defeat this season; however, that solitary defeat came under disappointing circumstances last weekend.

Between a worrying head injury to Emiliano Martinez that cast a shadow over the result, Pedro Neto managed to breach the Everton defence twice, ending their unbeaten start to the season and casting doubt on their aspirations for European football.

Only one of Everton’s last six Premier League matches has finished in victory, with their inability to convert draws into wins being their main downfall rather than a tendency to lose; they have the joint-most draws in the league alongside Brentford, Leeds United, and Manchester United.

David Moyes’s team, currently sitting in eighth place, trails only on goal difference behind the Bees and Whites, while being just three points shy of the top four. They also remain one of only four teams yet to suffer a Premier League defeat away from home in the 2026-27 season, with three draws from three away fixtures.

However, Everton fell victim to an Arsenal late-game flourish in their previous encounter in March, suffering a 2-0 loss at the Emirates, where Max Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Since then, the Toffees have been winless in their last seven outings against Arsenal, with James Tarkowski’s February 2023 contribution leading to a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Team News

Arsenal’s point gained at the Allianz Arena came at a steep cost, as Bukayo Saka suffered a quadriceps injury while making a pass in the 10th minute, forcing his substitution for Eze, who redeemed himself for past disappointments at the City Ground by scoring the opening goal midweek.

The extent of Saka’s absence remains uncertain, but Arteta is anxious about the worst-case scenario, meaning Eze is expected to return to the starting XI this Saturday, with Madueke moving back to the right flank.

The Gunners’ head coach might also consider some non-injury related changes, potentially introducing Myles Lewis-Skelly and Viktor Gyokeres in place of Bruno Guimaraes and Kai Havertz, who both struggled during the match in Munich.

Piero Hincapie may recover from his ankle injury just in time to be included, but William Saliba (back) and Christos Tzolis (hamstring) will remain unavailable for the home side.

Meanwhile, Everton holds the advantage of having a fully fit squad, a significant boost for Moyes given his historically limited options, as former Arsenal midfielder Christian Norgaard has returned from a groin injury and made his debut against Chelsea.

However, another former Gunner, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, had a difficult outing against Chelsea, being at fault for Neto’s opening goal, meaning Jake O’Brien may return to right-back for this fixture in North London.

Arsenal probable starting XI:

Raya; White, Consa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres

Everton probable starting XI:

Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; Rohl, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry

Arsenal is currently accumulating travel miles across Europe and has lost one of their most vital attackers over the past five years, but Arteta’s squad has risen to the occasion both at the City Ground and the Allianz Arena recently.

Facing a low on confidence Everton team that has averaged less than a goal per game in their last five fixtures, it seems probable that the Premier League champions will extend their winning run to three on the bounce.