Everton goal to proceed advancing up the Premier League desk after they host league leaders Arsenal on Saturday night. BBC Sport examines a number of the themes surrounding this recreation.
Everton have suffered six league defeats this season and 5 of these have come in opposition to sides competing within the Champions League. That listing consists of heavy dwelling losses to and however these two video games apart, their file at Hill Dickinson Stadium is powerful.
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The Blues have received 4 and drawn two of their different six matches at their new fortress and a triumph this weekend might put David Moyes’ facet above and into fifth, ought to different outcomes go their approach.
Toffees in a sticky state of affairs?
However Moyes may very well be with out as much as six first-team gamers, with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Corridor sidelined due to harm, and Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye each on worldwide responsibility with Senegal on the Africa Cup of Nations.
The absence of first-choice winger Ndiaye presents a possibility for Dwight McNeil. The 26-year-old has began simply twice this season within the Carabao Cup, however he’s more likely to make his one centesimal Premier League look for Everton on this match.
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Attaining that milestone would place McNeil because the fifth youngest Premier League participant to achieve the 100-game mark with two totally different golf equipment. It’s fairly an achievement for anyone launched by on the age of 14.
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Christmas primary
Arsenal have skilled their very own harm issues this season, however Mikel Arteta has not misplaced any gamers to Afcon and can have defender Riccardo Calafiori out there for this essential video games as he returns from suspension.
A victory for the Gunners would assure their place on the high of the tree this Christmas. It will be the third time up to now 4 years that they’ve been first at this stage, and the fifth time within the Premier League period. Nonetheless, they haven’t transformed any of these leads into titles.
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Astonishingly, Arsenal have been third at Christmas in the course of the unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ marketing campaign in 2003-04 – and the final time they turned a Christmas lead into silverware was 78 years in the past.
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Are Arsenal stumbling?
The Gunners have received three of their earlier 4 matches, however scratch beneath the floor and there are indicators that they’re beginning to stutter.
Arteta’s facet required two personal objectives to defeat backside facet 2-1 final weekend and they’re with out a win in three Premier League video games on the highway (D2, L1). They’ve additionally conceded the primary objective in 5 of their previous seven top-flight away video games, together with the previous three.
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Add to this the truth that Arsenal have solely registered one victory of their earlier seven league visits to Everton (D2, L4) and this weekend’s process turns into slightly extra daunting, though this will probably be their first outing at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Trossard once more?
Leandro Trossard might effectively be the important thing to a constructive consequence. The 31-year-old has been immediately concerned in 9 objectives in his previous 9 Premier League away video games, with six objectives and three assists, and he additionally has an notable current file when travelling to play Everton.
The Belgian has discovered the web in every of Arsenal’s previous two journeys to face the Toffees and he might change into the primary Gunners participant to attain in three consecutive visits to the Merseyside membership since Ian Wright between August 1995 and September 1997.