Following the season's first international break, we return to Premier League action on Sunday when we head to Everton, hoping to end our away day blues at Goodison Park.
Last season’s 1-0 defeat in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge meant we tasted defeated on each of our last three visits - all by a single goal - with our last victory coming back in October 2017.
But we head into this particular meeting still riding high on the euphoria of beating Manchester United last time out, and with this game coming ahead of our Champions League return and a north London derby, we'll hope our momentum and feel-good-factor is maintained heading into a big week.
Toffees stuck for goals
Dyche’s team go into this weekend as one of five teams in the division still searching for a first win, having tasted defeats against Fulham, Aston Villa and Wolves before salvaging a point at Sheffield United last time out. Their home form has been dismal, having won one of their last six on their own patch which came in the crunch final day meeting with Bournemouth that saw them avoid relegation by the skin of their teeth.
A lack of goals continue to cause Dyche headaches, as his team have failed to score more than once in any of their last 15 league matches at Goodison, and they have registered just two goals this season despite boasting an xG of 7.3. He will be hoping that new £26 million striker Beto can change their fortunes, who has already saved them from an embarrassing League Cup exit at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.
But with finances tight, just Beto and 19-year-old Youssef Chermiti were purchased for fees over the summer, while Arnaut Danjuma, Jack Harrison and Ashley Young also arrived. Meanwhile, big names including Yerry Mina, Tom Davies, Moise Kean, Neal Maupay, Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray were all allowed to depart as the Toffees recouped a £44 million profit in the transfer market.
What the managers say
Arteta: "Our record speaks for itself. In the last six years we haven’t won there, so we’re going to have to earn it and we know that we’re going to have to be at our best to beat them there and it’s something that we haven’t managed to do, so that’s where we’re going to start.
"Obviously I have a big emotional attachment to that football club, the way they treated me and the years that I spent there. The incredible memories that I have, so always grateful. It was a big, big part of my playing career, and now as a coach I have to play against them and obviously I want to beat them." - read everything from Mikel's pre-match press conference
Dyche: "The oddest thing so far this season has been the performance level against the points on the board. We want the performance level to stay high. The basic structure and work ethic of the team has to be good particularly against sides like Arsenal, who have had a good start.
"The biggest challenge so far this season is the number of key moments we’ve had and we haven’t been clinical enough to take hold of games at key times. We showed last season that, when the team’s in good shape and committed to the cause, like we were in that first game against Arsenal, a big moment, every player’s nose is pointing in the right direction and everyone is playing on the edge."
Talking tactics
Adrian Clarke's analysis: There will be few surprises in the way Everton approach this clash. They will almost certainly line up in a 4-5-1 shape, with a powerful and athletic engine room trio of Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure forming a solid platform. With 6'4" Beto leading the line, we should expect to deal with plenty of long balls, as Luton Town and Sheffield United are the only teams in the division who average more than Everton's 59 per match.
We conceded from a corner kick in last season’s loss on Merseyside, and Dyche will no doubt look to hurt us from set-piece situations once again. One of their two league goals this term arrived from a set play, and Brentford are currently the only top-flight outfit to have amassed more shots than Everton (23) from dead balls. Full concentration will be required when defending corners and wide free-kicks.
The biggest eye-catcher has been 21-year-old central defender Jarrad Branthwaite. The youngster, who is yet to be dribbled past by an opponent this term, is averaging 4.5 successful aerial duels per 90 and is regaining possession (8.5 times per 90) more than any other Premier League centre-back.
The Toffees are sure to be aggressive all over the pitch – only Wolves have won more tackles – and aside from set-pieces they will offer their biggest threat from counter-attacks. Using the pace of Danjuma and possibly Dwight McNeil out wide, they have the ability to break at speed. Registering seven shots from fast breaks already, we must cope well with transitions.
Team news
Thomas Partey will continue to be missing after picking up a groin injury in the build-up to the Manchester United game, and the midfielder joins long-term injury victim Jurrien Timber on the sidelines.
However Mohamed Elneny has been back in training as he continues his progression from the knee injury he sustained back in the winter.
Dyche has been boosted with the news that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit and available after recovering from a facial injury. Jarrad Branthwaite withdrew from England under-20s duty with a groin problem, but is also fine for this game, as are Michael Keane and Lewis Dobbin who missed the Sheffield United game with knocks.
Recent recruits Harrison and Chermiti are struggling with hip and groin issues, but the former has returned to training but isn't expected to feature. Andre Gomes, Dele Alli and Seamus Coleman will definitely be out.
Stats and facts
Everton have won four of their last five home league games against us, including the last three in a row. They last won four consecutively against us between March 1910 and March 1913.
We have won 100 of our 204 meetings with Everton in English league football, the most any team has ever beaten another.
Both of Everton's home games this season have been 1-0 defeats. Only three times in their league history have they lost each of their first three at Goodison Park, while only in 2005/06 did they also fail to score a single goal.
Since the start of last season, we have kept 11 away clean sheets, more than any other side in the Premier League. We've also won a joint league-high 13 games on the road, while only Manchester City (17) have conceded fewer goals than our 18.
We have scored 15 times from corners since the start of last season, the most in the division. However, of the 17 ever present teams in that time, only Liverpool (2) have conceded fewer such goals than Everton (4).
Dyche has won just two of his 16 league games against us (D3 L11), with his sides scoring just seven times in those matches and never more than once.
Gabriel Jesus has scored eight goals in just nine Premier League appearances against Everton, more than he has against any other opponent. Indeed, the Brazilian averages a goal every 71 minutes against them, the best rate of any player to play 500+ minutes against the Toffees.
Danjuma has scored in his last two appearances for Everton in all competitions, having netted in just two of his first 32 games with Premier League clubs (including spells with Bournemouth and Tottenham).
Since the start of last season, only Erling Haaland (17) and Harry Kane (16) have scored more Premier League away goals than Martin Odegaard (10).
Match officials
This will be just the fourth time that Simon Hooper has overseen a Gunners game, with the previous three coming last season when we beat Nottingham Forest at home and Aston Villa away, before drawing with Southampton at Emirates Stadium.
He was also a relatively lucky omen for Everton last term who won three of the four games he took charge of. He was also lenient in 2022/23, showing just one red card in 29 matches in the top-flight.
- Referee: Simon Hooper
- Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long
- Fourth official: Anthony Taylor
- VAR: Stuart Attwell
- Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh
Recent trips to Goodison
You have to go back to October 2017 for our last win at the famous old stadium, when we recorded a 5-2 success with five different players getting on the scoresheet.
However, our last three visits have ended in defeat, and last season James Tarkowski’s header ensured Dyche got off to a winning start back in February, a game the hosts went into winless in their last 11 matches as we suffered just our second league loss of the campaign.
The season before saw Richarlison and Gray net late on to record a 2-1 win, while Mina struck the winner to record the same scoreline in December 2020, but such is the turnover in players at Everton in recent years, none of those three are still at the club.
Have a look back at five classic wins against the Toffees, including a record-breaking opening day success, and the Invincibles at their best.
How to watch
Breakdown Live
Nicole Holliday and Adrian Clarke will be in the My Arsenal Rewards box, where we’ll be showing what happened when Frimpon met Frimpong in Colney Carpool, taking a look at our academy sides’ recent action and reliving our dramatic victory over Manchester United, as well as breaking down how we can take three points from Goodison.
Live commentary comes from Dan Roebuck and Jonathon Rogers.
Wherever you are in the world, find out what TV channel is showing the game.
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