please log in to view this image Venue: Goodison Park Date: Saturday 4th February 2023 KO time: 12:30 GMT Overall Record Wins: 109 Losses: 64 Draws: 46 Last six meetings Arsenal 5-1 Everton Everton 2-1 Arsenal Arsenal 0-1 Everton Everton 2-1 Arsenal Arsenal 3-2 Everton Everton 0-0 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Hope this doesnt turn into a banana skin with Everton players wanting to prove something for Dyche! We must go there with same intensity and vigor as previous matches. COYG
Our recent record at Goodison is not very good. We last won there in 2017 when we won 5-2. Since then, we've drawn 1 and lost 3. And they've had some truly awful teams in that time (last year's loss there in particular was disgraceful). I'm not expecting this to be a cakewalk at all, especially as Dyche has had 5 days to drill some defensive resilience into them during that time. But we need to be winning this if we have aspirations of winning the title.
Nketiah doesn't do enough Frustrating half, Martinelli has struggled with being doubled up on. I feel like if we score its gonna come from midfield. I would quite like to see Trossard come on.
HT. 0-0. As tough a game as I expected. Everton fighting for their lives, new manager, home territory with a boisterous crowd and Dyche has got them super well drilled. Dyche’s flat 3-man midfield was a smart solution to Zinchenko inverting. They’ve been resolute at the back, hard to play through and they’ve picked up on turnovers and transitioned dangerously. But we haven’t got going at all. Sloppy in possession, giving the ball away carelessly and we look overwhelmed by the occasion. That Saka chance which was cleared off the line by Coady would have been against the run of play. We’ve not had any proper chances apart from that, either. We need to up the ante in the second half and hope they tire out. Will be amazed if they can carry on with this level of energy and pressing in the second half.
1-0 Everton. Deserved too. We’ve been a bit better this half but still nowhere near the required level. Not been good today at all.
Apparently it shouldn’t have even been a corner in the first place . Sums up David Coote’s rubbish performance. But unfortunately, we’ve been far worse.
Our finishing today has been truly diabolical and I’m hoping that’s not a sign of things to come in the near future…
FT. 1-0. A terrible, terrible performance and result at a ground we never do well at, no matter the circumstances. I'm not going to go into panic mode, but that was so far below the level we need if we want to win the title. We're going to have to be much better than that. We also need to find a way of coming up with more solutions against teams that have a 4-5-1 with a mid block and squeeze us in the middle. Newcastle did something identical and we struggled. Arteta's record against Dyche is also very poor. He's won 1 in 6 meetings, losing 2 and drawing 3. He clearly struggles against him.
Not great but we need to remain calm and confident. Everton would beat most teams playing like that with the new manager bounce. We got lucky with four points away at Leeds and Southampton, swings and roundabouts. But we have to win at home vs Brentford going into the city game. Then the crowd are going to need to be absolutely on it against city.
The only solitary time we've played as terribly as that this season was against Leeds at Elland Road. I think some fans online are reacting too emotionally and are doom-mongering, but to be fair, we simply can't afford to play as badly as that again for the remainder of the campaign. Even if we're not at our best, we have to find a way of winning games and grind out results. A draw would have been an acceptable result today, but losing (and losing in that way) isn't on. Big reaction needed against Brentford and City. If we are serious about winning the title, we need between 4-6 points over the next 2 matches. IMO we have to beat City at least once to get over that mental barrier we have against them. Hoping Spurs can do us a favour tomorrow, but not banking on it.
Our reverse fixture against Everton has finally been re-arranged. Wednesday March 1st 2023. 19:45 GMT.