Everton vs Arsenal – Match Preview
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There’s only one Premier League game taking place on Sunday and although the schedule might be lighter than usual, that is not to say the fixture at Goodison Park between Everton and Arsenal will be any less important.
For Everton, it is a case of aiming to earn a third straight league win and in turn keep their slim hopes of a top seven finish alive, one that if achieved would certainly ease the pressure that is currently on the shoulders of manager Marco Silva.
It has been a funny season for Everton and certainly for Marco Silva, as just when you think the former Hull and Watford manager’s head is on the chopping block, he then masterminds a string of impressive performances for the Toffees.
Something that has been evident recently after his side recorded wins over both Chelsea and West Ham, while not to mention the spirited draw against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at the start of last month.
Everton will look to continue their recent purple patch of results when they go up against an Arsenal side who now look favourites to secure a top four Premier League finish – something that not many were saying at the start of the year.
Slowly but surely Unai Emery’s methods have started to click and subsequently the results have followed, an act that is all the more impressive when you consider that has been very little in the way of expenditure in the January transfer window.
Emery has shown be to be a dab hand in working with what he has got and not only that, making those same players better and this has been evident when you look at the Gunners’ recent form in the Premier League.
The North Londoners are unbeaten in their last six league outings and more importantly have picked up 16 points from the last 18 that are on offer - a tally that has propelled them into the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
They go into this weekend lying fourth in the Premier League table, a point behind local rivals Tottenham and although Mauricio Pochettino’s men will feel resurgent after their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday, they have now played a game more.
That game in hand is certainly the wild card for Arsenal, one that gets played this Sunday and this group of players know that they cannot pass up the opportunity to pull clear of the other three teams in the cut-throat mini league that they now find themselves in.
If Arsenal qualify for the top four or not may depend on whether their Europa League exploits trip them up and the two upcoming ties with Napoli will certainly dictate what happens in the final month in the season.
A tournament exit will give them a clear run at domestic matters, while getting the better of Carlo Ancelotti’s men will mean at least another two European fixtures to deal with. However, that is something that does not become a factor until a fortnight’s time when the dust from this tie has settled.
The focus lies at Goodison on Sunday and this Arsenal side have been largely unstoppable, while there is little to suggest that Everton will be able to stand in their way. With that in mind, all signs point to an away victory on Merseyside.
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