Arsenal are currently dwindling in the ninth spot on the Premier League table but they could slide further down if they are unable to keep Everton at bay on Friday.
The Gunners go into this match at the back of a 1-1 draw against Fulham and they could be in line to drop points once again since Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been a force to reckon with during the 2020-21 season.
But according to Michael Owen, Arsenal should be able to come out on the top on Friday, primarily because of two of Everton’s biggest weaknesses.
He wrote for BetVictor: “In their last four matches at the Emirates, Arsenal have drawn two and lost two. It’s been that kind of season for the Gunners as they continue to struggle to find any consistency.
“That said, they have an impressive record on their own patch against Everton. Undefeated in this fixture on home soil since 1996, this has the look of a winnable match against their Merseyside rivals.
“On top of that, Everton arrive here in rather indifferent form. The Toffees are without a win in six and although it could be argued they were worth more than a point last week against Spurs, their defensive display really let them down.
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“With neither side at their best in recent weeks, I believe this will be tight, however, Everton look really shaky at the back just now, so I’m going for a home win.”
Arsenal have lost as many as 12 matches this season in the league but over their previous five games, they have tasted defeat just once. Everton, on the other hand, are winless in their previous five league games, losing two and drawing the other three.
The Toffees were on the brink of winning against Spurs last weekend but a couple of defensive lapses forced them to miss out on all three points.
While Owen is not sure about Everton’s defensive line but the problem for Arsenal is that they will be without their big-name players like Lacazette and Aubameyang on Friday. Martin Odegaard is another key performer who is expected to miss out so with so many superstars missing, youngsters like Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli will take the field against Ancelotti’s side at the Emirates.
And we are not sure if these relatively inexperienced forwards have enough in them to trouble the likes of Michael Keane and Holgate.
