Arsenal cannot take over Liverpool’s top spot at the moment, but they still have the ability to put pressure on their opponents by defeating “The Kop’s” neighbors Everton.
With excellent form, the Gunners do not hide their ambition to win all 3 points against Everton on the evening of December 14 to compete for the second position in the Premier League with Chelsea and put pressure on Liverpool in the leading position. Coach Mikel Arteta and his team are facing the opportunity to surpass Chelsea and close in on Liverpool, just waiting for their opponent to weaken so they can do something big.
Everton did not play last round because the Merseyside derby was postponed due to bad weather. However, having an extra week off is not necessarily an advantage for Everton as the team is trying to earn points to stay away from the danger zone.
Arsenal are flying high in all competitions. They beat Monaco 3-0 in midweek to move up to third in the Champions League group stage. Making the most of every opportunity is an important goal for Arteta and his team as the winter race gets increasingly fierce.
To be fair, the Gunners have not really convinced fans about their playing style in the last two Premier League rounds. Against Man United, Arsenal only made a difference in the second half thanks to “weird” corner kicks. The situation in the match against Fulham was not much different when Coach Arteta’s team played somewhat stalemately, even falling behind before luckily equalizing thanks to a corner kick.
Arsenal will be red again at Emirates Stadium. (Photo: REUTERS)
It would be a completely wrong conclusion to assume that Arsenal only know how to exploit corner kicks to score goals (in 4 consecutive Premier League matches). In the match against Monaco, Bukayo Saka almost scored a hat-trick from quick counter-attacking opportunities.
Arsenal’s scoring numbers are also very diverse, not depending on any striker, although Saka still plays the most prominently.
Having to face Everton in this round is the most positive news for Arsenal. In their last outing, coach Sean Dyche’s players defeated Wolverhampton 4-0. Fans of “The Toffees” were not happy because before that, the team’s strikers had not scored in 4 consecutive matches, all draws and losses in the Premier League.
With a lack of sharpness in the attack and a frequent blunder in the defense, Everton will find it difficult to keep a clean sheet against Arsenal’s energetic forwards. Not to mention history is on Arsenal’s side, with four wins and one draw in their last five encounters with Everton.