We return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime at Goodison Park, looking to extend our advantage at the top of the table before our rivals take to the field this weekend.
We’ll be facing an Everton side languishing in 19th in the table and winless in nine matches, but hopeful of a new manager bounce after Sean Dyche replaced Frank Lampard as Toffees boss on Monday.
The blue half of Merseyside hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for us in recent times, with only two wins claimed from our last 10 trips there, but we head to the north-west looking to become the first team to register 100 wins against a single opponent for the first time in English league history.
All to do for Dyche
Lampard was dismissed following a disastrous first half of the campaign, with only Southampton's inferior goal difference keeping them from being rock bottom of the division. After kicking off their campaign with successive defeats, things looked promising when the Toffees strung together a six-game unbeaten run between August and October to pull them to the brink of the top half.
But then came the crash that cost Lampard his job. A 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in October was their only success from the last 12 league games, while draws at Fulham and Manchester City either side of the World Cup were the only other positives in that time.
Only eight points have come from a possible 30 at Goodison this term, and after seeing Anthony Gordon depart for Newcastle United this week, Dyche failed to add fresh blood to his squad as he aims to appease his frustrated supporters with the same players that Lampard struggled to gain a tune out of.
What the managers say
Dyche on us: "People always say, it’s the oldest one in the book, but you’ve got to play everyone, and so the way the fixtures fall is just one of those things.
"They’re having a very good time of it at the moment, but I think they’ve known us long enough from my previous club. I think they’ll know that I usually put out a team that are ready for the challenge, so I wouldn’t imagine that they’re underestimating the strength of our challenge."
Arteta on Everton: “They have tried to accommodate the right character for the circumstance the club is in. What Sean and the coaching staff did at Burnley speaks for itself. With the limited resources they had, they got incredible results very consistently in this very tough league.
“I like the character a lot, the presence and the clarity he brings to his team. Hopefully after tomorrow, he will be a great fit for Everton. When there is a new manager the environment will change, and a lot of things change during the week, so it’s going to be a really tough test.” - read everything Mikel said in his pre-match press conference
Team news
Jorginho could make his debut after arriving from Chelsea this week, and Reiss Nelson is back in training after being out for six weeks with a hamstring injury.
It remains to be seen if Thomas Partey will feature after going off with a rib injury against Manchester City last week, while Arteta admitted that Emile Smith Rowe will also miss out - read more about those injuries.
Mohamed Elneny also joins Gabriel Jesus in the treatment room after suffering a knee injury which required surgery.
Dyche will have to wait to select his former Burnley man Michael Keane as he is sidelined with a knee injury; the same ailment that kept Ben Godfrey out of last week's defeat against West Ham United.
James Garner has been out since before the World Cup with a back issue and will miss out again, alongside Nathan Patterson and Andros Townsend.
Facts and stats
Everton have won three of their last four Premier League games against us, as many as they had in their previous 26.
However they have won just three of their 44 league games against sides starting the day top of the table, but that does include a 2-1 victory at our expense in October 2002.
Dyche’s new team are winless in eight Premier League games (D2 L6), last having a longer run without a win between August and October 1994 (12). They've lost each of their last four home league games – only once before have they ever suffered more consecutive defeats on home soil.
We could win five consecutive away league games by at least two goals for the first time since October 1953.
Only Newcastle (3) have conceded the first goal in fewer league games than us this season (4). On each of the four occasions we have conceded first, it's taken us on average just 17 minutes to find an equaliser.
Dyche has only lost more Premier League games against Manchester City (11) than he has against us (10). However, after losing each of his first nine, he's lost just one of his last five against us.
Martin Odegaard has netted in each of his last three games on the road, with Olivier Giroud our last player to score in four in a row (September-November 2015).
Match officials
It is a rapid reunion with David Coote who oversaw our FA Cup third-round win at Oxford United last month, in what was his second game in charge of us this term following the 3-0 win at Brentford back in September.
We have won four and drawn once under his watchful eye, with the only defeat coming last season when Brighton & Hove Albion triumphed at the Emirates back in April.
- Referee: David Coote
- Assistant Referee 1: Lee Betts
- Assistant Referee 2: Mark Scholes
- Fourth official: Andy Madley
- VAR: John Brooks
- Assistant VAR: Darren Cann
Recent trips to Goodison Park
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.
Our last two visits have ended in defeat, with Richarlison and Demarai Gray netting late to record a 2-1 last term, while Yerry Mina struck the winner to record the same scoreline in December 2020.
One good omen for us though is that Everton haven’t won three home games in a row against us since 1978.
Watch some of our best goals and away days against the Toffees in our playlist of classic action
Breakdown Live
Nicole Holliday and Adrian Clarke will be live on Arsenal.com and the official app from 11.30am for the essential pre-match build-up for any Gooner.
Boxer Chev Clarke drops by ahead of his fight against Dec Spelman to claim a Cruiserweight title shot, and you can see what happened when Frimmy popped down to his gym to take part in a training session ahead of the big bout.
There will also be an analysis of what Jorginho brings to the side, and well as a look as to what we can expect from an Everton side now managed by Dyche.
Then at 12.30pm, we’ll hand over to Dan Roebuck and Jonathon Rogers at Goodison Park for live commentary of the game.
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