Everton face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with the Toffees facing a London side for the second week in a row.
Last week, Everton hosted Chelsea, with Xabi Alonso’s side ending the Toffees’ unbeaten start to the 26/27 Premier League season.
A double from Portuguese attacker Pedro Neto gave Chelsea all three points in a comfortable 2-0 win. Chelsea broke the deadlock just seconds after the half-time restart, before a late second sealed the win.
Many have been quick to criticise Moyes, despite the Toffees sitting 8th in the table, but Everton will need huge improvement from last week to secure a result against the reigning Premier League champions.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit behind league leaders, Manchester City, with six wins and one defeat from seven games. That loss was in September, when Brighton ran out 3-0 winners at the AMEX Stadium.
In the week, the Gunners faced German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League. An entertaining encounter saw the points shared in a 2-2 draw, with a late equaliser from Declan Rice earning Arsenal a point.
Bukayo Saka suffered a thigh injury during that UCL clash. After 10 minutes at the Allianz Stadium, Saka was brought off following a non-contact injury. Arteta stated in a post-match interview that the injury situation “does not look good”. Saka looks set for a significant spell on the sidelines and his absence could give the Toffees a small boost, which they may need.
EVERTON TEAM NEWS
David Moyes is yet to report on any injuries that may impact the already small-numbered squad.
Christian Nørgaard was back in action with a debut cameo against Chelsea, but the Danish midfielder received criticism for a poor opening performance. The 32-year-old may well feature again against his former club to build fitness and confidence.
Following Ainsley Maitland-Nile’s decent start in an Everton shirt, the full-back has been at fault for opposition goals in recent games. Moyes could again consider Merlin Rohl or Jake O’Brien as alternatives at right-back.
Rohl has stated that he “might like right-back better than midfield.” The German’s willingness to be versatile is welcome, given Everton’s lack of options at full-back.
EVERTON PREDICTED LINEUP (4-3-2-1)
Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong, Dewsbury-Hall; Röhl, Grealish; Barry
ARSENAL VS EVERTON MATCH DETAILS
Kick-off: 3pm BST, Saturday 24th October
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH ARSENAL VS EVERTON
This Premier League clash is unavailable for UK viewers due to the embargo on Saturday 3pm kickoffs. For updates, please join the ToffeeWeb Live Forum.
Read more – ToffeeWeb Talk: Reaction to the Chelsea defeat and the next test at Arsenal – Episode 10