Arsenal continue their Premier League title defense on Saturday, but must overcome an awkward visit from Everton to keep pace with table-toppers Manchester City.
The Gunners were humiliated by Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break as they surrendered their perfect Premier League record, but narrow victories over Leeds United and Nottingham Forest since have reinvigorated Mikel Arteta’s men.
Currently three points behind the Cityzens, who are in action on the same day at Aston Villa, Arsenal will take to the field without some key personnel. Fortunately, they have a strong record at home in this fixture, winning four of the last five meetings at the Emirates Stadium.
Here’s how Arteta could set his team up against the Toffees.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Everton (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—Arsenal might have conceded twice in their midweek draw with Bayern Munich, but Raya was typically impressive as he produced several athletic saves. A close-range stop to deny Dayot Upamecano was the pick of the bunch.
RB: Ben White—With Jurriën Timber having started in Munich, Arteta should restore White to the starting lineup. He once again has two stellar right back options at his disposal, allowing him to rotate during a hectic period of fixtures.
CB: Ezri Konsa—There’s a chance Cristhian Mosquera features against Everton for his first outing since August, but Konsa’s developing relationship with Gabriel means he’s undoubtedly first-choice replacement for the injured William Saliba.
CB: Gabriel—The Brazilian is renowned for his goal threat, especially for the set-piece heavy Gunners, but he’s now without a goal in over 10 months, last scoring against Bournemouth in Arsenal’s first match of the calendar year.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—With Piero Hincapié battling injury, Arteta was unable to swap his left backs midweek. As a result, Calafiori, who scored during his last appearance at the Emirates, should start yet again.
CM: Declan Rice—Arsenal’s midfield general produced another clutch performance at the Allianz Arena, striking the all-important equalizer as he netted his first goal of the season.
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CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—Bruno Guimarães has delivered some strong performances recently, but having started three matches over the past 10 days, he could be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly in the midfield.
RW: Noni Madueke—“It doesn’t look good at all,” Arteta confessed when asked about Bukayo Saka’s alarming injury against Bayern. He could be out for two months, according to reports, and Madueke will replace him against Everton.
AM: Martin Ødegaard—Arsenal’s skipper delivered a sensational assist for Eberechi Eze against Bayern, once again flexing his creative muscles as he continues his remarkable start to the campaign.
LW: Eberechi Eze—After a confidence-sapping early substitution last weekend, Eze responded with an excellent showing against Bayern. After replacing Saka early on, he opened the scoring with a lovely finish and continued to cause problems for Konrad Laimer.
ST: Kai Havertz—Viktor Gyökeres scored home and away against Everton last season, but Arteta still refuses to trust the towering Swede. Havertz appears likely to earn his third successive start.
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