Preview: Arsenal v Everton | Pre-Match Report | News

Two of English Football’s most traditional teams meet in an old-fashioned 3pm kick-off on Saturday, as we look to maintain our unbeaten home record this campaign against Everton.

History shows that we’ve beaten our opponents 102 times, more than any side has beaten another in the English top-flight, and have tasted defeat just once in the Toffees’ last 28 league visits, and twice in the entire Premier League era.

Mikel Arteta will hope to extend those impressive statistics against his former club, as the three points will be crucial as we aim to hunt down the team on the other side of Merseyside who currently occupy top spot in the table.

Toffees stuck for goals

Having battled relegation for the past three seasons, Sean Dyche’s side find themselves five points above the drop zone this time around, but buoyed by their most recent outing when they snapped a five-match winless streak by overwhelming Wolves 4-0 at home.

That was a welcome victory for the Toffees, who are fresh having seen their home Merseyside derby postponed last Saturday. After losing their opening four games of the campaign and exiting the League Cup at the first hurdle, the ship has been steadied with just two defeats since, albeit the Wolves success was just their third of the campaign.

Their form on their travels has been dismal, and their only away league win in 2024 came at Ipswich Town in October, which was also the last time they scored on the road. That makes them the only side without an away goal since the start of November, and with tough fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City after ourselves, they must improve on their tally of 14 goals in 14 games.

What the managers say

Arteta on Everton: “The club has been through very different stages through its history and recently they’ve had a very tough one, but I love the way they get together, go through their storms and the way they face it is a great example. Again, what Sean [Dyche]the coaching staff and players have done in recent years with all the instability around the club.

“They haven’t lost the rules and that fighting spirit, togetherness and love for the club in regards to whatever happens – they are there. That’s not easy and that makes them really special. Hopefully that will help them, and give them stability. The project with the new stadium looks unbelievable as well, so there’s a lot to be excited about.”

Dyche: “Finding different ways of winning is what I have always been trying to achieve, with whatever group I’m working with. Sometimes there are certain clever [set-pieces] that catch people out, but generally, it is down to delivery and intent.

“It’s something I have always preached strongly to groups I have worked with. It is not always about clever movement, just the simple basics of a top delivery and attacking it. That sometimes gets overlooked. But I know the box I live in – that’s the way it goes.”

Team news

Arteta will run the rule over Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori in training ahead of the game, and he believes that he may have one of the pair available after they missed the last few matches.

Oleksandr Zinchenko isn’t yet ready to feature after his recent setback, while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain out of contention with their knee problems.

For Everton, Michael Keane is fit after missing the win against Wolves with his own knee issue, but Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner remain out having been unavailable since October with foot and back injuries respectively.

£15 million summer signing Youssef Chermiti has yet to feature after undergoing foot surgery but did play in a behind-closed-doors friendly alongside Seamus Coleman, Armando Broja, Nathan Patterson and Jake O’Brien in midweek to boost their fitness.

Talking tactics

Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Everton line up in a 4-2-3-1 for every match, but without the ball they morph into a compact 5-4-1. This will be frequent as they only average 40% of possession, the second-lowest total in the division, so breaking down their stubborn resistance by finding space in crowded areas will be key.

The Toffees, and Jordan Pickford in particular, hit the ball long towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin who is a terrific outlet, winning more aerial duels than any other top-flight striker. He has helped Everton complete 26.8 long balls each game – the highest number of successful long passes, while no Premier League side is more accurate with their crosses in open play (27%).

Everton are abrasive and aggressive in their duels. Wide forwards Dwight McNeil and Iliman N’Diaye set the tone, working hard to press opponents, while at the back James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite are dominant figures who love to repel crosses. They are a superb set-piece outfit, and all four of their goals against Wolves came from dead-ball situations.

In open play though, Everton are not as creative as they would like, scoring just six times. Their defending has also been fragile and they can crumble, shipping four goals against Tottenham and Manchester United, and three apiece in matches against Brighton, Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Facts and stats

We have won 18 of our last 22 Premier League games at Emirates Stadium, and are looking to keep three successive clean sheets on home soil for the first time since December 2021.

Everton have only won one of their last 39 away matches against teams starting the day in the top three, winning at Leicester City in December 2020.

We have lost just one of our last 28 league matches after playing in Europe in midweek (W20 D7), going unbeaten in five such matches this term.

We have won 81% of our home Premier League matches in 2024 (P16 W13 D2 L1), our best home win percentage in a year since 84% in 2007 (16/19).

Since the start of last season, we have scored more goals via corners than any other side (23), doing so in each of our last three games. We have never previously scored from a corner in four games in a row.

Eight of Everton’s 14 Premier League goals this season have been scored via set pieces (57%), the highest percentage by a team in a season since West Bromwich Albion in 2014/15 (61%).

Since returning from injury on November 10, Martin Odegaard has created the most chances of any player in the Premier League (17), with seven of those for Bukayo Saka, the most from one player to another in that time.

Gabriel Martinelli has scored three goals in his last three home Premier League appearances against the Toffees.

Match officials

Craig Pawson has been handed control of this game, and he has been a lucky omen for us as we’ve won nine of the last 10 matches he’s refereed stretching back to September 2021, and each of the last seven. It is his first Gunners game this season, having been in charge of our 6-0 win at West Ham United and a 2-0 success against Luton Town last term.

That’s in stark contrast to Everton who have won just five times across the 27 games of theirs Pawson has been in the middle for, and you have to go back eight games to May 2022 for the last time they won under his watch.

Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Eddie Smart, Con Hatzidakis
Fourth official: Andrew Kitchen
OUR: Paul Tierney
Assistant VAR: Dan Cook

Everton’s recent visits to N5

The Toffees haven’t enjoyed playing at Highbury and Emirates Stadium during the Premier League era as they’ve won just two of their 32 trips, which came in 1996 and 2021. Indeed, the Toffees have lost nine of their last 10 visits.

The most recent of those came on the final day of last season, but they did take the lead when Idrissa Gueye saw a free-kick deflect past David Raya, but still in with a chance of the title we came back and Tomiyasu equalised before Kai Havertz grabbed a late winner.

We cruised to a 4-0 success in March 2023 as a Martinelli brace was added to by a Saka blast and an Odegaard finish to seal a convincing win. The two teams again met on the final day three seasons ago, when another four-goal winning margin was recorded when Martinelli and Odegaard were on target again in a 5-1 success, and Eddie Nketiah, Cedric and Gabriel also netted.

Live coverage

With the action not being broadcast in the UK, the only place you can build up to the game is on Arsenal.com and the official app, where Nicole Holliday and Joel Beya host a star-studded Live From N5!

TV star Jack Whitehall and Olympian Sir Mo Farah join us in the studio to chat about their love of the Gunners, and they’ll help rank David Raya’s best saves in an Arsenal shirt so far.

As it’s the first meeting between us and Everton since his passing, we’re joined by Kevin Campbell’s sister Lorna to talk about the work his foundation does in his memory, while Frimmy’s out and about asking supporters for the best atmosphere they’ve experienced at an Arsenal game.

Then at 3pm, live commentary comes from Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke in the press box at Emirates Stadium, keeping you up right up to date with all the twists and turns.

You can also find out which broadcasters are showing the game live wherever you are in the world.