Evertonvs.Arsenal

For one final time on the Goodison Park touchline, Mikel Arteta and his former manager David Moyes will share a warm embrace before Everton move to their new Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium from next season.

Arsenal could be forgiven for being happy to see the back of Goodison Park, a ground where they did manage to pick up a 1-0 win last season but failed to triumph in any of their five previous top-flight trips beforehand.

The Gunners' opponents also come into the clash having only lost one of their last 10 Premier League matches - Wednesday's Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool - but Arsenal expert Charles Watts is optimistic that last year's success can help Arsenal forget their otherwise "miserable" Goodison record.

"From a fan point of view, I love Goodison," Watts told Sports Mole. "I love the noise. I love the history. It's one of the last remaining great English grounds. It's going to be a shame to see it go, but you've got to move with the times.

'Arsenal have miserable record at Goodison Park'

"It's going to be a difficult game. Arsenal's record at Goodison has been pretty miserable. Hopefully last year's win can put that bad run to one side and we can now go out on a high. They had a demanding game [at Anfield]. Had they taken their chances in the first half, it could have gone their way, but it didn't.

"They ended up losing it, which was their first defeat in a while, they were on a good unbeaten run before that. Moyes got them going. It'll be tough for Arsenal, no doubt about it. The Real Madrid match is hovering over everything at the moment, but this is still an important game for Arsenal. Forest aren't slipping up.

"Arsenal need to stay ahead of them and keep that gap. So it's a game they need to win. It'll be interesting to see what Arteta does rotation-wise ahead of Madrid."

Despite completing the double over Everton during the 2023-24 season - including a 2-1 home success on the final day - Arsenal's attacking powers eluded them when a Sean Dyche-led Toffees side visited the Emirates in December.

On that occasion, Arsenal had 77% of the ball and fired 10 shots on target, but a combination of wastefulness and impressive goalkeeping from Jordan Pickford kept them out, and they could now fail to score in both league meetings with the Toffees in a single season for the first time since 1913.

Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard were also memorably taken off on the 62-minute mark in that game, but Arsenal head to Goodison re-energised on the back of a 2-1 home success versus Fulham, where Bukayo Saka marked his return from injury with the critical goal.

What do Arsenal need to do differently against Everton?

While Watts does not envisage Saka being risked from the start ahead of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, he has implored Arsenal to "move the ball quicker", as that could be the difference between victory and a repeat of December's drab display.

Asked what Arsenal need to do differently this time around, Watts replied: "Score! Everton are a decent side now under Moyes. He's got them organised, they're tough to beat. They don't concede many goals, which is what they've built this unbeaten record on.

"Every game at Goodison is a special occasion for Everton fans. The clock is ticking. It was the same at Highbury, those last handful of games, you wanted to make the most of every single second. It's the same for Everton fans now.

"It'll be interesting what happens with Saka. Do you try and get a first start into his legs before Real Madrid? I doubt it. I think you probably go a half an hour, maybe 35 minutes and then start him in the first leg.

"What they're going to have to do differently, just move the ball quicker. They just moved it very, very slowly. Everton packed the defence and Arsenal never looked like finding a way through. It was a really drab mundane performance. They can't do that again. They're going to have to move it quicker, try and pull Everton apart and then take their chances."

Arteta has also received a much-needed double defensive injury boost ahead of Arsenal's clashes with Everton and Real Madrid, although Gabriel Magalhaes will watch on helplessly in both fixtures as he recuperates from his season-ending hamstring problem.

Written by

Ben Knapton