Arsenal vs Everton predictions: Title-chasing Gunners to hold firm
- Arsenal have kept four clean sheets in their last five home games
- Everton have failed to score in seven of their 14 league matches
- Recommended bet: Both teams to score - no
Arsenal have a task on their hands in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool after last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham, but the Gunners should get the show back on the road with a comfortable home victory over Everton.
Mikel Arteta's side trail the pace-setting Reds by six points having played one game more and any more setbacks could do serious damage to their title aspirations.
The Gunners warmed up for this Premier League fixture with a convincing 3-0 win at home to Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday and there is little to suggest that they should falter against the Toffees.
The Merseysiders were impressive 4-0 winners at home to Wolves in their last Premier League game, which helped ease their relegation worries, but they had failed to score in four matches prior to that upturn in form.
Team news
Arteta will be hoping to have both Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes back in contention, although the defenders must be assessed and remain doubtful having missed the last three matches.
Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined, while Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber may also be doubtful for this clash.
Everton remain without Joe Garner and Tim Iroegbunam, while defender Michael Keane has missed the last two games with a knock and is a doubt.
Portuguese forward Youssef Chermiti has played twice for the under-21s recently, but he is lacking match sharpness and is likely to sit out again.
The stats
Arsenal have lost only one of their last 16 home league games, winning five and drawing two of their seven matches at the Emirates this season.
Everton have won only one of their last 18 away league matches, failing to score in three straight road trips.
Arsenal have won their last three league meetings with Everton, recording two of those victories to nil.
The Gunners have kept four clean sheets in their last five home games in all competitions, while nine of their 29 league goals this season have come directly from set-pieces.
Six of Everton’s last eight league matches have gone under 2.5 goals.
Prediction
Arsenal can ill-afford too many more slip-ups in their pursuit of the Premier League title and they are unlikely to be thwarted by Everton at the Emirates.
The Gunners have eased past Nottingham Forest 3-0 and Manchester United 2-0 in their last two home league matches and they are fancied to stand firm against a toothless visiting side.
The Toffees may have restored some confidence with their latest 4-0 victory over Wolves at Goodison Park, but they had failed to score in four league matches prior to that and they are notoriously poor travellers.
Despite Arsenal’s on-going defensive injuries they can ensure that both teams to score dies not happen in this game.
Everton have fired blanks in seven of their 14 league matches this season and Arsenal will be the highest-ranked opponents that they have faced so far.
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