Arsenal vs Everton – News and Probable Lineups

After a midweek encounter that served them a taste of their own corner routine, Arsenal is set to face Everton in Saturday evening’s Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

On Wednesday, Mikel Arteta’s side salvaged a 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in a Champions League match, while his former mentor David Moyes led his team to a 2-0 victory over Burnley in their last league game.

Match overview

Channeling the infamous Nicklas Bendtner, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz – much admired by Bayer Leverkusen fans – netted the equalizer that prevented his old club from securing a crucial Champions League win on Wednesday night.

Executing a strategy that Arsenal has applied against numerous rivals in the 2025-26 campaign, the German club initially took the lead from a corner when Robert Andrich scored at the back post. However, Noni Madueke’s efforts and Havertz’s composed penalty allowed an underwhelming Gunners side to escape once more.

Now favored to finish the job in the second leg at home next Tuesday – despite a performance in Leverkusen that left much to be desired – Arsenal has once again walked away with a favorable result after another lackluster outing; a recurring theme of recent weeks.

None of the hosts’ wins against Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, or Mansfield Town were convincing, yet the previous two victories have helped Arsenal secure a seven-point advantage over Manchester City – who still hold a game in hand – at the Premier League summit.

Having experienced near misses in 2023 and 2024, Arteta appears to have instilled a win-at-all-costs mindset, understandable given the heightened pressure for him to deliver now, and he has been able to depend on the Emirates factor in the past few weeks.

Indeed, the Premier League leaders have triumphed in their last five matches at home since a surprising defeat to Manchester United in January, scoring multiple goals in five of their last six encounters in their part of North London.

While Arsenal sets their sights on Champions League success, Everton has their own European aspirations under the astute Moyes, whose squad reinforced their bid for a top-seven finish with their recent performance against Burnley.

James Tarkowski and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall found the net either side of half-time, guiding the Toffees to a straightforward 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a much-needed victory for a team that had gone seven matches without one at home.

By breaking their home winning drought, Moyes’s charges closed in to within one point of seventh-placed Brentford, while the gap to Liverpool in sixth and Chelsea in fifth is just five points as the season approaches its conclusion.

Of the 43 points Everton has garnered this season, 24 came from away fixtures, where the visitors hold the fourth-best away record this term – trailing only Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City in terms of away points accrued.

Nevertheless, Arteta’s Arsenal defeated Everton 1-0 at Merseyside earlier this season, and the hosts are currently on a six-match unbeaten streak against the Toffees after previously losing four out of five encounters with their Northern rivals.

Team News

Arsenal defenders Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori both overcame injuries to be included on the bench at the BayArena, but Martin Odegaard (knee) and Leandro Trossard (unspecified) were both sidelined and are considered doubts for the weekend.

Currently, Mikel Merino (foot) is the only assured absentee for the Gunners, presenting Arteta with numerous selection decisions as the Leverkusen second leg and the upcoming EFL Cup final approach.

The dynamic Madueke came on to replace the ineffective Bukayo Saka in the second half on Wednesday, yet considering Arsenal’s reliable set-pieces could be crucial, the latter may retain his place due to his precision in delivering.

On the other hand, Everton has had ten days to recover from their win over Burnley due to a premature FA Cup exit, giving Moyes’s squad ample time to heal from injuries.

As a result, the visitors should only miss Jack Grealish (foot) and Carlos Alcaraz (unspecified) for their trip to Arsenal, with Moyes potentially having Seamus Coleman back from a minor injury in time for the match.

Jordan Pickford has recently attracted attention for positive reasons with his stunning saves against Burnley and Newcastle United, but England’s number one is now just two goals shy of conceding 500 in the Premier League – a landmark only eight other goalkeepers have achieved.

Arsenal possible starting XI:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Zubimendi; Saka, Eze, Martinelli; Havertz

Everton probable starting XI:

Pickford; O’Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Gueye; McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye; Barry

Although no Premier League team can compare with Arsenal’s 24 goals from dead-ball situations this season, Everton has conceded only eight from penalties, corners, or free kicks – the fewest of any club in the top tier of English football.

The scene is definitely set for yet another tightly contested and possibly unexciting match featuring Arsenal, yet Arteta’s men consistently find ways to claim victory, especially on home soil, and we trust they will achieve this once more.