Arsenal host Everton on Saturday evening, four days after a humiliating defeat away at then-bottom of the league Swansea. Arsene Wenger’s side lost 3-1, further compounding their woeful away performances over the course of this season. However, the Gunners were active on transfer deadline day, landing Borussia Dortmund’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang’s arrival means that Olivier Giroud has departed for rivals Chelsea, but the Gabon international striker was prolific in his time in the Bundesliga, scoring 98 goals in 144 league games for Dortmund. Arsenal fans will be hoping that he links up with fellow January recruit Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The duo formed a lethal partnership in their time at Dortmund and if they combine again, then there’ll be plenty of goals at the Emirates.
Despite not making a signing on deadline day, Everton did do some smart business in January. Turkish international striker Cenk Tosun had a debut to forget at Tottenham, but Everton’s other January signing, Theo Walcott, has hit the ground running. Much criticised whilst at Arsenal, Walcott scored a brace against Leicester on Tuesday and returns to the stadium where he’s spent almost all his professional career to date. He’ll be hoping to prove Arsene Wenger and the fans that a mistake was made by selling him.
Arsenal vs. Everton Predictions
One thing you can always be sure of when Arsenal play is goals. They failed to strengthen defensively in January, which makes them prime candidates to concede, but they’ll also score goals at the other end. Everton’s record away at Arsenal is terrible and while they sit in mid-table purgatory, don’t expect them to get anything from this game. Arsenal to win and both teams to score would be a good bet here.
Arsenal vs. Everton Betting Tips
- Arsenal to win: 5/18
- Draw: 9/2
- Everton to win: 21/2
- Theo Walcott to score anytime: 4/1
- Arsenal to win by two goals: 57/20
Head to Head
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 23 home matches against Everton in all competitions (W19 D4) since a 2-1 Premier League defeat in January 1996 under Bruce Rioch.
- Everton have played more Premier League matches at the Emirates without winning (11 – W0 D4 L7) than any other club.
- The Gunners have beaten Everton more often in league games than any other side has beaten another in the history of the Football League (95).
- Arsenal have never lost a Premier League game at the Emirates in the month of February (P21 W17 D4 L0), with their last home defeat coming against West Ham at Highbury in February 2006.
- Arsenal have made the most errors leading to goals in Europe’s big five leagues this season (11).
- Sam Allardyce has collected just three points from a possible 39 in away Premier League games at Arsenal (P13 W0 D3 L10), losing each of the last eight in a row, all at the Emirates.
- This match is Allardyce’s 500th in the Premier League, making him just the fifth manager to achieve this. Of the previous four, only Arsene Wenger won his 500th match in charge (Harry Redknapp drew, Alex Ferguson and David Moyes lost).
- Mesut Ozil has had a hand in seven goals in eight Premier League appearances against the Toffees (two goals, five assists) and has scored or assisted in each meeting at the Emirates (one goal, four assists).
- Arsenal’s new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a hand in 172 goals in 213 matches in all competitions for Dortmund (141 goals, 31 assists), averaging a goal or assist every 96 minutes.
- Since his Premier League debut in September 2013, Mesut Ozil has provided more assists than any other player (49 in 139 apps). The quickest a player reached 50 assists in the competition was Eric Cantona, who did so in 143 games.
Arsenal Team News
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to make his full Arsenal debut after coming off the bench in midweek against Swansea, but fellow new arrival Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might start on the bench. Alex Iwobi looks set to be the player who misses out, while Jack Wilshere is struggling with illness.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Petr Cech, Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Nacho Monreal, Aaron Ramsey, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Everton Team News
Seamus Coleman returned to action and was named man-of-the-match against Leicester in midweek. Everton have no fresh injury concerns, but James McCarthy and Leighton Baines are long-term absentees. Eliaquim Mangala might also make a debut after arriving on loan from Manchester City.
Predicted Everton XI: Jordan Pickford, Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka, Michael Keane, Cuco Martina, Idrissa Gueye, Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies, Theo Walcott, Cenk Tosun, Gylfi Sigurdsson
