Gunners Prepare for Massive EPL Sunday Showdown at Everton!

by
Lukas
5. 12. 2021

Everton seek to end a run of 8 Premier League games without a victory. Arsenal look to keep pace with the top clubs. What will happen on Merseyside in this Monday face-off?

Everton and Arsenal will both be aiming to bounce back after disappointing midweek defeats, during Monday’s English Premier League (EPL) showdown at Goodison Park.

The Toffees suffered a disheartening 4-1 Merseyside derby loss to Liverpool, while Mikel Arteta’s outfit were on the wrong side of a 3-2 scoreline at Manchester United.

After a winless EPL streak of 8 matches, Rafael Benitez’s team occupy 15th place in the table, on 15 points. The Gunners are 5th, with 23, but with a game in hand over all the clubs above them.

Everton star striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, is still battling back from his thigh problem. Tom Davies will also miss out and Salomón Rondón picked up a hamstring injury in the Merseyside derby.

Yerry Mina and André Gomes have slim chances of making the squad, and Mason Holgate’s return from his ban will hand Benitez a much-needed boost in defence.

Anthony Gordon, or ex-Arsenal employee, Alex Iwobi, should benefit from Rondón’s absence this week, and the former will be hopeful of being selected, after replacing the Venezuelan hitman at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, for Arsenal, Bukayo Saka was fit enough to play as a substitute against the Red Devils. But long-term victims, Sead Kolašinac and Granit Xhaka remain on the treatment tables and Emile Smith-Rowe is a slight doubt.

Saka’s expected return to the first XI could mean that Gabriel Martinelli drops down to the bench, with Arteta unlikely to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite his wastefulness in front of goal recently.