by Tony Attwood
Mr Wenger has been in upbeat mood of late, saying, for example, “When you look at the teams around us, you can see that the margin of difference between the teams has shrunk a lot. So the way you respond in every single game is absolutely vital.
“What is for sure is at the moment every game is like a cup final for everybody. We just came out of a game where we were 1-0 down and for the sixth time in the season, we come back after having been down.
“So let’s continue to focus on that, on our resilience and on our motivation and after let’s see how far we can go.”
This of course is not a bad place to put that sort of philosophy into practice, what with us having 29 wins over Everton in the Premier League and very few losses of late. Here’s the rundown – our defeat is in bold
| 29 Dec 2007 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 1-4 | Premier League |
| 04 May 2008 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 18 Oct 2008 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 3-1 | Premier League |
| 28 Jan 2009 | Everton v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 15 Aug 2009 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 1-6 | Premier League |
| 09 Jan 2010 | Arsenal v Everton | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 14 Nov 2010 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 1-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Feb 2011 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 10 Dec 2011 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 1-0 | Premier League |
| 21 Mar 2012 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 0-1 | Premier League |
| 28 Nov 2012 | Everton v Arsenal | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 16 Apr 2013 | Arsenal v Everton | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
| 08 Dec 2013 | Arsenal v Everton | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 08 Mar 2014 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 4-1 | FA Cup |
| 06 Apr 2014 | Everton v Arsenal | L | 3-0 | Premier League |
| 23 Aug 2014 | Everton v Arsenal | D | 2-2 | Premier League |
| 01 Mar 2015 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 24 Oct 2015 | Arsenal v Everton | W | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 19 Mar 2016 | Everton v Arsenal | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
In fact we have more wins over Everton than any other Premier League side, and this is certainly one of our better runs against another PL team. It also includes the gloriously delicious 1-6 away win in 2009 when Moyes was in charge (the guy who said that the jury was still out on Ozil).
The team that day was
Almunia
Sagna Gallas Vermaelen Clichy
Fabregas Song Denilson Arshavin
Van Persie, Bendtner
Ramsey, Eduardo and Eboue came on as subs.
Given the improvement in our team since them days we ought to have a fighting chance of doing something more. But… despite all the reminders about how bad their recent run has been, Everton have only lost one in the last 10 games at home – a run which goes back to April.
But then again we are the only side in the PL unbeaten away from home, and it is worth remembering that our great runs under Mr Wenger began with the perfection of our away form.
In 2001/2 for example, in our dry run for the Invincibles season two years later, we were unbeaten away from home, smashing records along the way. It seems we are working on a similar approach this time – which is incidentally exactly the same way that Herbert Chapman did it. Every time he won the league (with Arsenal and Huddersfield) he did so by having an away form that was as good if not better than the home form.
We are also still chasing the 16 game unbeaten run between December 2010 and April 2011 – this would be game 15 if we do achieve that. That run started with a home win over Chelsea and ended with a 3-3 draw away to the Tiny Totts.
But now here is a funny one: Arsenal haven’t lost on a Tuesday in the Premier League since February 2006, winning 10 and drawing seven. (I found that in one of the papers – my records don’t get that bizarre.)
Want another? Well, even if not, here it is…
Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last six games against Everton.
And another (I’m getting the hang of this)…
Alexis Sanchez has been involved in 26 goals in his last 26 league appearances for Arsenal – scoring 18 and providing eight assists.
Anyway enough of the silly stats, time for the team news…
Presumably with Mustafi missing Gabriel will play in the centre. Isn’t it interesting how quickly the media has moved from “Shkodran who?” and comments about Arsenal still buying unknowns instead of proven players, into this being an utter disaster for Arsenal to lose such an influential defender.
But Mustafi and Ramsey are out with hamstring problems. However Bellerin came through Saturday’s test against the club with the most obnoxious fans in the western spiral arm of the Galaxy, so it is simply a move for Gabriel into his more natural position of centre back.
Incidentally the reports on Santi Cazorla are that his surgery went perfectly. Here’s the injury table in date return order amended from Physioroom (which always seems to publish the list in no particular order I can discern). It is good to see that Akpom has a return date…
| Player | Injury | Estimated return date | ||
| A Ramsey | Hamstring | December 18, 2016 | ||
| D Welbeck | Cartilage Knee | January 1, 2017 | ||
| S Mustafi | Hamstring | January 3, 2017 | ||
| P Mertesacker | Knee | January 7, 2017 | ||
| M Debuchy | Hamstring | January 14, 2017 | ||
| C Akpom | Back | January 14, 2017 | ||
| S Cazorla | Plantaris* | February 25, 2017 |
*The plantaris is one of the superficial muscles of the superficial posterior compartment of the leg, and yes I had to ask Dr Billy “the Dog” McGraw, and no, I didn’t understand a single word of his explanation.
So, unless Mr Wenger springs any surprises on us the opening XI will be
Cech,
Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal
Coquelin, Xhaka,
Theo, Ozil, The Ox
Alexis
The most likely change from the above if there is to be one is to replace Monreal with Gibbs if Mr Wenger thinks Monreal is getting a bit weary.
On the beach playing about will be Ospina, Gibbs, Elneny, Giroud, Iwobi, Holding, Perez.
Meanwhile the line up of our last ten results looks rather jolly:
W W W D W D D W W W
For Everton the list looks a little different:
L D D L W L D L D L
As for the top scorers lists that looks like this (table from soccerstats.com). This source is particularly worth noting as it includes the percentage of team goals scored by the player, the number of penalties and the number of times the player has scored the first goal (as opposed to being a player who tucks away a goal or two when the match is long since won).
In my view any team that has an entry in the percentage column that is over 40% is in danger – for an injury or loss of form for such a player could spell danger to the club. Over 50% and for me the club is on the edge of the cliff. I’ve highlighted the three clubs in this sort of position.
On the other hand players with four or more “first” goals are of great value. Interestingly Everton have in Lukaku a player in both categories. If he were to get injured where would the club be then?
| Player | Team | Goals | % team | pen. | 1st | |
| 1 | Alexis Sanchez | Arsenal | 11 | 31% | 0 | 4 |
| 1 | Diego Costa | Chelsea Soviets | 11 | 33% | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Sergio Aguero | Manchester Airport | 10 | 31% | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Romelu Lukaku | Everton | 9 | 47% | 0 | 5 |
| 5 | Jermain Defoe | Sunderland | 8 | 57% | 3 | 3 |
| 5 | Christian Benteke | Crystal Palace | 8 | 30% | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Eden Hazard | Chelsea Soviets | 8 | 24% | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Manchester Mo | 8 | 40% | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Harry Kane | Tiny Totts | 7 | 29% | 3 | 2 |
| 9 | Theo Walcott | Arsenal | 7 | 19% | 0 | 2 |
As for the Psychological Factor:
Coming back from a goal down always gives the team a boost, especially when it means knocking back the worst supporters known to football. So that’s another bonus to us; we simply will not be beaten.
And at the same time we saw Liverpool! lose their exclamation mark, the Tiny Totts get even tinier, and Manchester Airport come off the runway. Another positive.
The players also saw one of the most appalling displays in the history of the Premier League by a referee and yet we still won and that will have given them yet another push.
And the Arsenal players will know that we have only lost one of the last 18 against Everton.
As for Everton in the psychological analysis, they have their positive home record to cling on to, but if they were to take the lead they would most certainly drop back, while Arsenal would just say “ok, we know how to handle this one,” and get ready to do what they have done six times before.
I’d say that for this game the psychological factors are totally with Arsenal.
Arsenal v Everton and other recent tales
Everton v Arsenal: a case study of changing managers
Everton v Arsenal Tuesday 13 December 2016. The Match Officials
Wenger May Not Be Special But He’s Definitely Something More …
The live report of the CL draw
What are the actual benefits of topping the Champions League group this season?
Over half the important decisions made by Premier League referees are wrong.
The most grotesque appalling display by a referee; the most disgraceful awful fans.
good luck to all the Gunners on duty today’s. let’s keep the unbeaten streak in the PL going for 1 more match. com’on Arsenal
bushido, I hope for many many more to be honest…
Arsenal
33. Petr Cech
24. Hector Bellerin
5. Gabriel Paulista
6. Laurent Koscielny
18. Nacho Monreal
34. Francis Coquelin
29. Granit Xhaka
14. Theo Walcott
11. Mesut Ozil
15. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
7. Alexis Sanchez
Subs
3. Kieran Gibbs
9. Lucas Perez
12. Olivier Giroud
13. David Ospina
16. Rob Holding
17. Alex Iwobi
35. Mohamed Elneny
Am I right in thinking that the actual team is the same as the team predicted by Untold?
i hope so to Walter’s n Tony, u were spot on with the team prediction’ mate
Everton kicking our players and their own
1.0
Sanchez. Who else?
nearly a penalty for Arsenal but it just outside the box. Jagielka brought le’Coq down
Alexis free kick
deflection freekick
Everton keeper make a mess of it
How on earth did Jagielka avoid a red card there?
Vince
He needs to keep his mouth shut now that he’s got a yello
clearly Everton kicking the Arsenal players but Clattercheat not calling the foul. Commentator is also a dildo with stink.
Clattenburg starting to give Everton the advantage now…
Follow up not given a red card!! what the fuck is deliberate vicious foul play?
Could see it coming, they’re being allowed to harass us…
1-1, Coleman with the header
Kos fouled before the header. Clattenburg would never see that!!
wish the bt sport commentators will stfu already. such a pain in the arse
So we’ll win 3-1 again
Clattenburg is turning out to be a shit ref for us. Its been a few games now with him with similar sort of outcome. we were well on top till about 25 minutes or so when he started ignoring barges and kicks from Everton. he seems to be trying to further his career at our expense.
Everton knew their only chance to beat Arsenal is to kick the hell out of Arsenal players n with the referee is such a dick they seem to manage to do that alrite
Yeh saw that, Menace. Barkley just barged him off the ball, or Kos would have put a challenge in and not allow colman a free header….
Bit of ag as they left the field at HT. what was that all about
Come on Arsenal, stay focused and do not get distracted or agitated by their doings, play our game.
As usual Clattenburg being a lot more lenient on the Everton players who gradually cottoned on to the fact that they could get away with a lot more than our guys could. Phantam fouls given for them, blatant ones against us ignored.
hope AW will come down the players in the dressing room n make another game changing plan. hope Ollie G will come on n Alexis will play on the left. The Ox seem to be ineffective in the 1st half. com’on Arsenal
#calm
Clattenburg blew the half time whistle rather than give us a free kick.
I’m looking at koeman also, his Southampton side despite playing good football would resort to thuggery (wanyama et al) when things weren’t going so well for them. I don’t think I’ve seen this kind of physical approach from Everton this season until today… he clearly told them to rough us up. I hope their poor run continues and he gets sacked…
The half time shit was due to an Everton attack on Ozil after he was fouled. The whole bunch of the cunts got involved.
Phantom handball against Ox
McCarthy was the shit at half time & has just got away with a high foot. PGMO blind fucking mice!!
Ox giving some back
Come on lads, were making these problems ourselves. Regain control and the mis-passes will stop.
Are we having a breather? we’re letting them have too much of the ball, that could end bad.
Thats exactly what i mean
Blast and damn! They’ve scored. Only two minutes. Can we equalise again?
That shot my 3-1 up the arse
So obvious Everton goal will come after a free kick given to Everton for a perfect Kos tackle (after Lukaku got away with a kick in Kos face)
How can football survive with such cheating officials? It is just not clean.
Bit late for that red
should have had a pen!!!! what a fucking cheating bastard PGMO !!
Frantic stuff at the end
We “lost” that one all on our own. We went to sleep and let Everton play after scoring our goal.
Great game killer ending we def deserved a point .
Disappointed really, it could have been well avoided, so, why?
How do you avoid a cheating ref Para?
match report is on line
We didn’t find a killer pass in the final third all game. Add a few defensive lapses, a referee who has become a real face of the organization he represents and then you know why we lost the game.
Now, let’s bounce with a win over Manchester City. This was a set-back in our title challenge but there are still 22 matches to be played.
COYG!
para – a bit hard to sleep when being kicked!
Unfortunately a team of thugs, managed by a thug, permitted to cheat by the PGMO, supervised by the malign presence of Dean, was too much for us tonight.
But lets give credit to our guys for the effort they put in – well done guys.
Menace is right about the first thug goal – Kos was fouled as the ball came over & could not clear – it looked like a premeditated move. The dorks in the BT studio thought it was funny!!!
The second thug goal came from a series of cormers which started after a Clattendork invented foul! Shame on the PGMO.
Josif – the pass that Ozil balooned over the top was top quality.