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Recommended bets
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Match preview
This is Arsenal’s often sighted ‘game in hand’, so can they open up a five points gap at the top of the table?
On Saturday, the Gunners limited Leicester to just one shot, meaning their 1-0 victory at the King Power was far more comfortable than the scoreline would suggest.
Leandro Trossard had a superb strike ruled out by VAR, but Gabriel Martinelli did get the crucial go-ahead goal just 50 seconds after the interval.
So, having also won at Villa Park a week earlier, Mikel Arteta’s team are two clear of Man City, with this their game in hand.
Can Arsenal therefore open up a far healthier gap here?
Everton meantime beat the Gunners just 25 days ago in Sean Dyche’s first match in charge; James Tarkowski’s header the difference at Goodison.
This saw the Toffees, who haven’t won an away game in any competition since 1 October, drop back into the relegation zone.
Everton did beat Arsenal at the Emirates during lockdown, but haven’t won in N5 with fans present since 1996, Andrei Kanchelskis the match-winner that day, losing 23 of 27 subsequent trips.
Thus, a home win seems likely in North London.
Arsenal team news
Thomas Partey had missed two games injured, but came on for six minutes on Saturday as he’s eased back into action.
The Ghanian could return to the XI, although Jorginho has proved to be a more than able deputy.
Eddie Nketiah had started all 11 matches since the World Cup before Leandro Trossard led the line at the weekend; it’ll be interesting to see if Nketiah returns here.
Emile Smith Rowe, who hasn’t started a game since May, played 45 minutes for the U21s on Monday, and will be amongst the substitutes.
Gabriel Martinelli, Nketiah, Gabriel and Martin Ødegaard all scored when they demolished Everton 5-1 on the final day of last season.
Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Xhaka, Ødegaard; Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah.
Everton team news
Everton were excellent in the reverse fixture but have been generally dire since then, largely due to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence.
Without him, the Toffees offer little-to-no goal-threat, which is concerning given that he could be out long-term.
Without him, Neal Maupay will continue up front; he’s scored just once for Everton, but did net two winners against Arsenal during his Brighton days.
Alex Iwobi will face the club he joined in 2004 as an eight year old, before being sold for £34 million in 2019.
In general, due to limited options, Sean Dyche is likely to name an unchanged line-up.
Predicted XI (4-5-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Coady, Mykolenko; Doucouré, Gana Gueye, Onana, Iwobi, McNeil; Maupay.
Arsenal vs Everton: Head to head statistics
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Premier League table
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