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Arsenal vs Everton preview | Confirmed team news, Ceballos should start + prediction

By mac14 on February 22, 2020

Arsenal desperately need a win to move us up the table when we welcome Everton to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

Last weekend’s 4-0 victory over Newcastle United was impressive but we still head into tomorrow’s match sitting 11th in the Premier League and a full 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.

However, a win over Everton on Sunday afternoon would see us climb up to eighth and close the gap on Chelsea to seven points so this isn’t an opportunity we can pass up or our top four hopes will be over.

Mikel Arteta has finally installed some organisation in the team as we kept our third consecutive clean sheet with a 1-0 victory over Olympiacos in the Europa League on Thursday night so hopefully that continues tomorrow.

But Everton arrive in north London sitting two places and two points above Arsenal in the table and they are now dreaming of Champions League qualification so Carlo Ancelotti’s mean shouldn’t be underestimated.

Team news

Arsenal welcome Lucas Torreira back into the squad after he missed the trip to Athens due to illness while Mesut Ozil is also available again after being given permission to sit out the Olympiacos game to be at the birth of his child.

Sokratis is a doubt to take on Everton after picking up a knee injury in midweek while Hector Bellerin will also be assessed after complaining of a tight groin ahead of the Europa League clash.

Kieran Tierney is set to return to full training as he steps-up his recovery from a shoulder injury but Calum Chambers and Cedric Soares remain on the sidelines.

As for Everton, they’ll be without Andre Gomes and Bernard due to injury while Fabian Delph is suspended. Theo Walcott could also miss out against his former club due to a knee problem.

Preferred line-up

I’d like to see Dani Ceballos given a chance alongside Torreira in midfield tomorrow. Ceballos was excellent in a deeper role against Newcastle and he deserves a chance to stake a claim for the first team shirt. In attack, I’d go with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front as he’s wasted on the wing.

This would be my line-up:

Expected Everton XI: Pickford, Coleman, Mina, Keane, Digne, Bernard, Sigurdsson, Schneiderlin, Sidibe, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Prediction

Arsenal have an outstanding record against Everton as we haven’t lost a home Premier League game to them in the last 23 meetings so fingers crossed that run continues tomorrow. We’ve been far more solid in recent games and if things click in attack then we should have too much for the Toffees. I’m going for a 2-1 Arsenal win.

Arsenal 2-1 Everton