Manchester City keep winning, so Arsenal can’t afford to blink. Mikel Arteta’s champions sit second on 18 points, three behind Maresca’s perfect City, and the Emirates has been a fortress: three home league wins from three this season and six straight league home wins.
David Moyes brings an Everton side that is very hard to beat but struggles to win. With four draws from seven, the joint-most in the division, they sit eighth, just three points off the top four. History, though, is brutal: Everton have won just once in 32 visits to north London since 1996.
Arsenal: rolling, but without Saka?
The Gunners have won 10 of their last 11 across all competitions, and their only league defeat came 3-0 at Brighton. The defence is the best in the league on expected goals: just 0.7 goals conceded per game and four clean sheets in seven.
The worry is Bukayo Saka. He limped off early in the midweek draw at Bayern Munich and is facing weeks out, which takes away Arsenal’s joint top scorer. Christos Tzolis is also injured, and there are question marks over William Saliba (back) and Piero Hincapie.
Without Saka, expect Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze out wide, with Martin Odegaard pulling the strings and Declan Rice (four assists already) driving from deep.
Everton: tough nut, blunt edge
Everton are one of only four sides unbeaten away from home this season. They are organised, they tackle (112 so far, far more than Arsenal), and Jack Grealish gives them a spark in the final third.
The problem is goals. They’ve averaged less than one a game over their last five and have missed 18 big chances, the second-most in the league. Last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea was their first loss of the season.
Thierno Barry is the man to watch: three league goals and more than 2.5 shots in six straight games.
Team news
Arsenal: Saka (quad) is very doubtful, and Tzolis (hamstring) is out. Saliba and Hincapie are fitness concerns.
Everton: Moyes has a near-fully fit squad, with Christian Norgaard back from a groin injury. Jarrad Branthwaite’s fitness is being watched.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Madueke, Eze, Havertz
Predicted Everton XI: Pickford; Maitland-Niles, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong, Dewsbury-Hall; Rohl, Grealish, Barry
The numbers
| Stat (7 games) | Arsenal | Everton |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 18 | 10 |
| Goals scored | 11 | 8 |
| Goals conceded | 5 | 7 |
| Possession | 61.2% | 47.2% |
| Clean sheets | 4 | – |
Head-to-head: Everton haven’t beaten Arsenal in seven meetings, since a 1-0 win at Goodison in February 2023. Arsenal won this fixture 2-0 in March.
The odds
| Market | Fractional | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal win | 2/5 | 1.40 |
| Arsenal win to nil | 5/4 | 2.25 |
| Both teams to score: No | 4/5 | 1.80 |
| Under 2.5 goals | 1/1 | 2.00 |
XScore verdict
Everything points one way. Arsenal’s home defence is the tightest in the league, and Everton can’t finish their chances. Losing Saka could make Arsenal less fluent, so don’t expect a hammering, but the clean sheet looks strong.
At 1.40, the straight Arsenal win is short. Arsenal to win to nil at 2.25 is the better value, and it makes sense in an accumulator.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Best bets:
- Arsenal win to nil: 2.25
- Both teams to score: No, 1.80
- Value extra: Declan Rice to assist
Moyes will park the bus. Arsenal have the tools to break it, but it may take patience.
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