e-Football Preview - Everton vs. Arsenal
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Everton’s away trip to the Emirates last season produced what was widely regarded by Evertonians and neutrals alike as the best first half performance witnessed against Arsene Wenger’s pass masters, not just by an Everton team but by any team last term.
Roberto Martinez’s side, fresh off the back of a long overdue victory at Old Trafford days before, played an exciting mix of patient passing and rampaging counter attacks.
It’s been very rare to see Arsenal look like the away side at home but with the arrival of the cool-headed Gareth Barry, the energetic James McCarthy and (finally) an exciting spearhead to the attack in Romelu Lukaku, Everton easily forced Arsenal onto the back foot for long spells of the game and left them chasing the ball as they have done to so many.
Although the game finished 1-1, Ross Barkley’s exciting dribbles from deep in midfield showed everyone exactly how Roberto Martinez has encouraged his Everton squad to play: sin miedo, without fear.
Arsenal’s trip to Goodison later that season was even more humbling, losing 3-0 to a confident and determined Everton who at that point were Arsenal’s main threat for the 4th place Champions League spot.
Subsequently just missing out on that 4th spot hasn’t dampened the mood around Goodison leading into the new season - it has merely whetted Evertonian appetites.
There will be no Ross Barkley when Arsenal play Everton this Saturday due to a worrying medial ligament knee injury picked up before the season’s tricky opening game against newly promoted Leicester City. His physical, dangerous attacking threat with the ball at his feet will no doubt be a big loss to Everton’s midfield as they compete against and seek to threaten Arsenal’s own attacking talents.
Arsenal's neat, if somewhat lightweight, first choice midfield trio of Arteta, Ramsey and Wilshere squaring up against Everton’s Barry, McCarthy and Barkley was an exciting prospect. Less so with either Naismith or Osman potentially stepping into Barkley’s attacking role.
Kevin Mirallas has played off the striker on previous occasions, and although he is from time to time greedy with the ball he certainly has the technique and dribbling ability Naismith and Osman lack.
With the arrival of the lightning quick and raw 22 year old Christian Atsu on loan from Chelsea, Everton have an unpredictable new option in the wide areas with the potential to up the ante and put pressure on the opposition’s tired legs late in the game, similar to the effect Gerard Deulofeu had last season.
Laurent Koscielny has recovered from a slight injury from the weekend and should partner new boy Calum Chambers as Arsenal’s centre back pairing. Depending on how the duo fares after their Champions League qualifier with ex-Everton player Slaven Bilic's Besiktas side midweek, Per Mertesacker may return after an extended break following Germany’s World Cup win.
After a slightly quiet opening game against Leicester, Romelu Lukaku would no doubt fancy his chances against the already heavy footed Mertesacker, new boy Chambers or a tentative Koscielny.
One of Everton’s biggest worries is likely to come from another of Arsenal’s new additions as Alexis Sanchez meets Leighton Baines for the first time.
Last season Baines was rather conservative by his own swashbuckling standards, more often remaining deeper and allowing the newly invigorated frontline of Lukaku, Mirallas, Barkley, Deulofeu and Naismith to control the forward regions. With Steven Pienaar back in first team action this season we may, despite Pienaar’s increasing lack of mobility, see a return of their successful left-sided partnership that was the focus and highlight of Martinez’s predecessor’s style.
On the opposite side Arsenal's increasingly impressive Kieran Gibbs has been ruled out with injury for 3 weeks. With Coleman only recently returning from a pre-season injury and left an unused substitute for Everton’s draw at Leicester, rising star John Stones could have to deputise in the right side of defence, a position he looks less comfortable in than his usual centre back spot.
The absence of Gibbs though should see Nacho Monreal take his place. Last season Monreal was literally terrorised by Romelu Lukaku who, under special instructions, targeted his flank resulting in a great goal for the striker. Lukaku's run over to the home side's technical area to celebrate with Martinez, acknowledging his manager's shrewd tactics paying off, left the jubilant Everton crowd with a clear signal that his loan spell with Everton had as hoped developed into a stronger bond.
Wenger’s new first choice but inexperienced striker Yaya Sanogo did not travel to Turkey midweek. If he starts, he should be a fairly straightforward proposition for experienced senior players Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin to contain. Which leaves Everton’s defensive midfielders to attempt to shackle the aforementioned Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere, Chamberlain and, if fit, Mesut Ozil. Gareth Barry and James McCarthy will need to be at their intelligent best again and will no doubt be helped by the pressure from Everton's attackers. Steven Naismith's terrier-like hassling aided this particularly well at Goodison last time around.
It will be hard to repeat the fresh energy and surprise of last season’s fixtures between these two sides as I’m sure Arsene Wenger has since learnt that, in Roberto Martinez and his Everton side, they have met a team with too much experience and physicality to be bullied or pressured, and technically too creative and aggressive to be allowed time on the ball.
What is guaranteed is a brilliant atmosphere. Although not a true under the floodlights night fixture, a 5:30pm kick off at Goodison Park against as good an opposition as Arsenal is sure to bring out the best in the Everton faithful - or the worst, depending on where you’re sitting.
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