Arsenal vs Everton: A Clash of Confidence and History

Everton head to North London on Saturday with the weight of history already against them and the current mood doing little to lighten the load.

Arsenal, reigning Premier League champions and purring near the top of the table, wait at the Emirates Stadium – a ground that has been a graveyard for Everton ambitions for the best part of two decades. The visitors arrive on the back of a home defeat to Chelsea and with their manager talking about mystery injuries in a squad already short on confidence.

Not exactly the backdrop for an upset.

Arsenal in command, Everton in doubt

Arsenal sit second, their only blemish a defeat to leaders Manchester City. At times they have looked ruthless, but it is the defensive record that really underlines their authority: just five goals conceded, the joint-best in the division.

They will, however, be short-handed. Mikel Arteta – once brought to the club by David Moyes – must do without Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Christos Tzolis. Piero Hincapie could return to bolster the back line, but Arsenal’s depth will be tested even if their structure rarely is.

Across the technical area, Moyes has very different problems.

The Scot hinted this week that several squad players are carrying knocks, but refused to name names. That lack of clarity only feeds the unease around a team already reeling from the Chelsea defeat and haunted by their record in this fixture. Any optimism in the away end will be hard-earned.

Fitness gambles and selection headaches

Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko both scraped through late fitness tests to start against Chelsea. They got through it, but that does not automatically guarantee a repeat at the Emirates.

Moyes has already been burned once. Summer signing Christian Nørgaard, heavily talked up as “ready” by his manager, looked badly short of the required level on his appearance. Moyes admitted as much in his latest press conference, revealing he had even considered starting the Dane before realising that would be a mistake.

He cannot afford similar misjudgements against a side as ruthless as Arsenal.

Arteta’s absentees may open a door, but Everton’s own list of half-fit or rusty options raises the question of who Moyes truly trusts when the game starts to tilt.

Likely shape: 4-1-4-1 again – but for how long?

Everton are expected to stick with the 4-1-4-1 that has become their default this season. The structure is familiar; the execution has been anything but consistent.

Jordan Pickford will start in goal, the one position with no debate. In front of him, Mykolenko is likely to be pushed out again at left-back, even if he is short of full fitness. Moyes did it last week and there is little sign he intends to change tack now.

Branthwaite remains the defensive bellwether. When he plays well, Everton’s back line usually holds. When he struggles or is missing, they creak. James Tarkowski should partner him again, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles completing the back four.

James Garner’s role becomes critical in this kind of away game. Sitting in front of the defence, he has to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm and use the ball cleanly when Everton finally get it. If he is off his game, the Toffees will spend the afternoon chasing shadows.

Ahead of him, Harrison Armstrong, Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Merlin Röhl are expected to form the attacking band of four. Röhl, used last week with a clear defensive brief, may again be asked to tuck in and help stem the tide rather than fully commit to the front foot.

Thierno Barry should lead the line, an isolated figure at times in this system but one whose running will be essential to relieve pressure and test an Arsenal defence missing key pieces.

Bench frustration and unused firepower

The substitutes’ bench tells its own story.

Mark Travers, Michael Keane and Jake O’Brien provide cover at the back, but the more intriguing names lie further forward. Hayden Hackney, once again, is likely to be left wondering what more he has to do to earn serious minutes. Tyrique George, another bright attacking option, faces the same question.

Nørgaard, still tagged as “training” rather than truly match-sharp, will be among the replacements as Moyes tries to rebuild his confidence without exposing him too quickly. Brennan Johnson, Charly Alcaraz and Tyler Dibling add width and energy, but whether they see the pitch early enough to influence the game is another matter.

Everton’s full available squad for the trip reads:

• Goalkeepers: Pickford, Travers, King
• Defenders: Branthwaite (TRAINING), Keane, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko (TRAINING), Maitland-Niles
• Midfielders: Armstrong, Dewsbury-Hall, Garner, Hackney, Nørgaard (TRAINING), Röhl
• Wingers: Alcaraz, Dibling, George, Johnson, Grealish
• Strikers: Barry

On paper, it is not a squad entirely devoid of options. On the pitch, at the Emirates, it has too often looked like one.

Moyes will almost certainly lean on the tried and trusted again, even if some of them are patched up. The real question is how long he can keep leaving the likes of Hackney and George waiting in the wings while results falter and the same old script plays out in North London.