Everton aim to continue advancing up the Premier League table when they host league leaders Arsenal on Saturday evening. BBC Sport examines some of the themes surrounding this game. Everton have suffered six league defeats this season and five of those have come against sides competing in the Champions League.
Everton aim to continue advancing up the Premier League table when they host league leaders Arsenal on Saturday evening. BBC Sport examines some of the themes surrounding this game.
Everton have suffered six league defeats this season and five of those have come against sides competing in the Champions League. That list includes heavy home losses to Tottenham and Newcastle, but those two games aside, their record at Hill Dickinson Stadium is strong.
The Blues have won four and drawn two of their other six matches at their new fortress and a triumph this weekend could put David Moyes' side above Liverpool and into fifth, should other results go their way.
Toffees in a sticky situation?
But Moyes could be without up to six first-team players, with the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sidelined because of injury, and Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye both on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The absence of first-choice winger Ndiaye presents an opportunity for Dwight McNeil. The 26-year-old has started just twice this season in the Carabao Cup, but he is likely to make his 100th Premier League appearance for Everton in this match.
Achieving that milestone would place McNeil as the fifth youngest Premier League player to reach the 100-game mark with two different clubs. It is quite an achievement for somebody released by Manchester United at the age of 14.
Christmas number one
Arsenal have experienced their own injury problems this season, but Mikel Arteta has not lost any players to Afcon and will have defender Riccardo Calafiori available for this important games as he returns from suspension.
A victory for the Gunners would guarantee their place at the top of the tree this Christmas. It would be the third time in the past four years that they have been first at this stage, and the fifth time in the Premier League era. However, they have not converted any of those leads into titles.
Astonishingly, Arsenal were third at Christmas during the unbeaten 'Invincibles' campaign in 2003-04 - and the last time they turned a Christmas lead into silverware was 78 years ago.
Are Arsenal stumbling?
The Gunners have won three of their previous four matches, but scratch under the surface and there are signs that they are starting to stutter.
Arteta's side required two own goals to defeat bottom side Wolves 2-1 last weekend and they are without a win in three Premier League games on the road (D2, L1). They have also conceded the first goal in five of their past seven top-flight away games, including the past three.
Add to this the fact that Arsenal have only registered one victory in their previous seven league visits to Everton (D2, L4) and this weekend's task becomes a little more daunting, although this will be their first outing at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Trossard again?
Leandro Trossard could well be the key to a positive result. The 31-year-old has been directly involved in nine goals in his past nine Premier League away games, with six goals and three assists, and he also has an notable recent record when travelling to play Everton.
The Belgian has found the net in each of Arsenal's past two trips to face the Toffees and he could become the first Gunners player to score in three consecutive visits to the Merseyside club since Ian Wright between August 1995 and September 1997.
Category: General Sports
