Injury-hit Arsenal face a tricky trip to in-form Everton this weekend, live on talkSPORT.
The Gunners are still just about in the Premier League title race, but they need to win all their games and hope Liverpool drop plenty of points in the run-in.
Mikel Arteta‘s side sealed a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates on Tuesday night, with Bukayo Saka coming off the bench to score a crucial goal.
The England international has been out with a hamstring issue since December and required surgery to fix it, but he scored just moments after stepping off the bench.
Meanwhile, despite a 1-0 defeat in the Merseyside derby, Everton are on a great run under David Moyes and have lost just one of their last ten in the league.
The Toffees are once again tough to beat, and this won’t be easy for Arsenal.
Everton vs Arsenal: Starboy is back
Given Saka’s immediate impact on Tuesday night, you have to wonder where Arsenal would be had he stayed fit.
Without their talisman on the right, the Gunners have looked predictable and boring in a lot of games, struggling to score.
Defensively, they have been sound, so they’ve managed to win without Saka.
But in those crucial matches where they needed some spark, he wasn’t there to provide it, allowing Liverpool to establish a hefty lead at the top of the table.
We will never know what could have happened had Saka stayed fit, but Arsenal fans will be delighted he is back.
- After winning four of their five league games against Arsenal between December 2020 and February 2023, Everton are now winless in their last four against the Gunners (D1 L3).
- The reverse fixture between these sides ended 0-0 in December – Arsenal haven’t kept a clean sheet in both meetings with Everton in a league season since 2011-12, while they haven’t failed to score in both against the Toffees since 1912-13.
- Everton lost this exact fixture 1-0 last season, having been unbeaten in their previous five at home against Arsenal (W4 D1). They’ve not lost consecutive home league games against the Gunners since a run of three between 2009 and 2012.
Everton vs Arsenal: Team news
Barring any injuries during the Merseyside derby against Liverpool, Moyes is likely to be without a couple of key players.
Orel Mangala and Dominic Calvert-lewin stand no chance of being involved.
However, we could see Dwight McNeil play a role.
Vitaliy Mykolenko and Iliman Ndiaye came back from injury at Anfield.
Meanwhile, despite getting Saka back, the Gunners have been dealt three new blows.
Ben White wasn’t involved in midweek due to a niggle, while Gabriel Magalhaes came off with a hamstring issue, and Jurrien Timber also couldn’t carry on.
Gabriel Jesus, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kai Havertz are out for the remainder of the campaign.
- In all competitions, Arsenal have won just three of their last 26 away games on Merseyside against Everton and Liverpool (D10 L13); they had won six of their previous seven visits before this run.
- Everton have lost just two of their last 13 Premier League matches at Goodison Park (W4 D7), drawing each of their last three. They haven’t drawn four in a row at home in the competition since between January and February 2015.
- Only Liverpool (17 games) are on a longer unbeaten run away from home in the Premier League currently than Arsenal (10 games – W5 D5). Since the start of 2024, the Gunners have picked up more away points in the competition than any other side (52), and have conceded fewer goals than any other side on their travels (16).
Everton vs Arsenal: What has been said?
On Arsenal’s new double injury blow, Arteta said: “They are two players in this team that never want to come off.
“Gabi felt something in his hamstring, we don’t know how big that is and with Jurrien as well, he was already struggling very early in the game.
“He managed to continue and at some point he couldn’t, so, that’s the downside to it.
“You can imagine, we’ve lost four players in the defensive line in one week – Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien and Gabi Magalhaes. We have still another four, that are so willing that they will do their job.”
Despite the new injuries, Arteta believes Arsenal will bounce back like they have all season.
He added: “The good thing is that it’s been like this the whole season.
“You see Martinelli today, you say we’re missing three months. You see Bukayo, four months. Jesus, almost the whole season. How we have managed to be where we are with all those injuries. Ben White hasn’t participated at all this season, it’s what it is.
“We want it so much that we’re going to give it a real go and we are very excited for next week.”
- Everton have scored four 90th-minute goals at Goodison Park this season in the Premier League, with three of those being equalisers in draws. It’s their most 90th-minute goals on home soil in a campaign in the competition since 2016-17 (also four), and joint most equalising goals in the last minute along with 2010-11 (three).
- Everton boss David Moyes won three of his first five Premier League home games against Arsenal between 2002 and 2007 (D1 L1) but has now won just one of his last 13 (D5 L7), picking up a 1-0 win as Manchester United boss in November 2013.
- No current Everton player has more Premier League goals against Arsenal than Ashley Young (2), whose two goals both came in a 8-2 win for Man Utd in August 2011. Young has 10 yellow cards against Arsenal, with only Kevin Davies (11 vs Arsenal) and Mark Noble (11 vs Spurs) receiving more yellows against one opponent in Premier League history.
- Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has been involved in five goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against Everton (3 goals, 2 assists), though only one of those came at Goodison Park, opening the scoring in an eventual 2-1 defeat in December 2021.
Everton vs Arsenal: talkSPORT coverage
This Premier League clash will take place on Saturday, April 5.
Kick-off at Goodison Park is scheduled for 12:30pm.
talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from Merseyside, with Faye Carruthers serving as your presenter.
Commentary will come from Sam Matterface and England icon Stuart Pearce.
talkSPORT.com will also have regular updates throughout on our dedicated live blog.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
