Arsenal v Everton preview: Gunners look to continue title charge
Their charge towards a first title in 19 years looked to be faltering after dropping seven points from a possible nine at the beginning of February, however, this weekend’s resolute display, which gave Arsenal their first clean sheet in six league outings, has handed them a platform to extend the gap at the top to five points with a win.
It was Everton who started the Gunners’ mini-rot with a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture just three weeks ago, but Mikel Arteta’s men should be confident of getting their revenge as they often put the Merseyside team to the sword on their own patch - Arsenal have lost just one of the last 26 home PL meetings (W21, D4), and have also lost just once at home this PL campaign (W8, D2).
It’s been a rollercoaster first month in charge of Everton for new boss Sean Dyche, who has won two and lost two of his opening four PL matches in charge.
He claimed Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa was “harsh” based on the performance level of his side, but now he’s got to try and pick the relegation-threatened Toffees up as they try and win away from home against a team starting a match at the top of the table for the first time since September 1986 (since: D5, L19).
However Arsenal might be the ideal opponent for them to achieve that feat as they’ve actually beaten the Gunners in four of the last five H2Hs (L1).
Everton have also scored in six straight games against their hosts, which could be seen as a good omen for a goal-shy side who have failed to score on ten occasions already this PL campaign; only two sides have failed to do so more often.
Players to watch: Gabriel Martinelli has scored in his last two PL appearances for Arsenal – he's never before scored in three in a row within the same season. After his winner three weeks ago, James Tarkowski could become the first Everton player to score home and away against the Gunners in the same PL campaign since Tomasz Radzinski in 2003/04.
Hot stat: Arsenal could become the first team in English league history to register 100 victories against one opponent by beating Everton here.
