Arsenal beat Slavia Prague in fine fashion which is why they were expected to overcome Fulham last weekend without much pain. But, in the end, the Gunners ended up dropping points once again as Fulham held them to a 1-1 draw.
Now that the Super League fiasco is behind us, Arsenal will once again have to focus on the Premier League and the Europe League but a top-four finish in the league now looks out of reach for the North London side.
And with this topsy-turvy form, Arsenal will take on Everton on Friday at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta has a few injuries to deal with but despite that, he should be able to pick a strong-enough starting line-up. While the Gunners are expected to give a proper fight to the Toffees, we don’t expect too much from the home side since they are winless in their last four matches at the Emirates.
Arsenal team news vs Everton:
Mat Ryan was in goal vs Fulham but Bernd Leno should back in the starting line-up against Everton on Friday.
Rob Holding and Gabriel will reprise their role in central defence with David Luiz still on the sidelines with an injury. Kieran Tierney is also out of action meaning Xhaka will once again have to play at left-back.
Xhaka playing as a full-back will allow Partey and Dani Ceballos to play in central midfield with Emile Smith Rowe playing as the No 10. Martin Odegaard is back to light training so he will not be available for selection.
Aubameyang has been recovering from malaria but he is yet to return to full training so he will not be included in the matchday squad on Friday. The absence of Aubameyang means young Gabriel Martinelli will play on the left wing with Bukayo Saka operating on the other flank.
The official team news from the club stated: “Auba continues to recover after contracting malaria on international duty. Auba will be unavailable for Friday’s match against Everton, but is hoping to resume light training by the end of this week.”
Alexandre Lacazette has been in great form for Arsenal over the past few weeks but he has now injured his hamstring and will be an absentee for the Everton game.
The official report read: “Alex has sustained a strain to his left hamstring and will be unavailable for Friday’s match against Everton. He will continue to work with the medical team and will be assessed ahead of next week’s matches.”
With the Frenchman ruled out, Eddie Nketiah will play as the main centre-forward against the Toffees.
How Arsenal could line up vs Everton:
Predicted Starting Line-up: Bernd Leno; Rob Holding, Gabriel, Granit Xhaka, Bellerin; Thomas Partey, Dani Ceballos, Emile Smith Rowe; Martinelli, Nketiah, Bukayo Saka.
