Everton v Arsenal, and why Arsenal should not emulate Mancester C

 

 

• Arsenal: more club trained English players than any other Premier League club.
• Is it time for the media to take a more reasoned approach about Arsenal?
• At last someone starts the serious fight against VAR

By Tony Attwood

It’s a 12.30 kick off in Liverpool tomorrow just three days before Arsenal take on Real Mad.  (They play Valencia tomorrow at 3.15pm) so a slight advantage to Arsenal.

Everton are currently in a run which we might call “not very good” (if we were going to be generous) in as much as they have won just one game in their last eight matches, that being away to the almighty Crystal Palace (they won 1-2).    Otherwise it has been five draws and two defeats (including a defeat in the FA Cup at home to Bournemouth.   In those eight games Everton have scored nine goals and conceded 11.  Not very exciting but that can be what it’s like “tup norf”.

So in the last six games table which as ever can be something of a guide to the next result, we see quite an interesting breakdown of clubs – and I’ve included some of the media’s more highly fancied teams just to show how very little the journalists actually know and how much they are driven by the diktats of their employers…

 

It is interesting to note the depths to which Tottenham have not only fallen but have continued to fall, especially at a time when the manager of that rather amusing non-trophied club seems to want to talk himself out of a job.  And indeed also interesting that in the so-called “Big 6” or “Big 7”, quite a few of those “biggies” are lurking in the lower levels – something that never does anyone any good but is rarely mentioned in the media.

I guess the worry for Arsenal is that the goals have dried up of late – just one goal a game compared with a season-long average 1.83 a game.  But despite all the raging negativity about Arsenal’s attack, and the reality that most of the season Arsenal have not had a recognised centre forward,. Arsenal are the third highest scoring team in the league, just two goals behind ManC with their highly acclaimed (by the media) all-star centre forward who scores just by looking at the ball.

And although that seems to be of no interest to anyone else, the fact is that ManC with Haaland have scored just two more goals than Arsenal without a centre forward.   And yet the media and their followers all say Arsenal must be like ManC and have a centre forward scoring 20+ a season..

Of course, the simple reality of actual facts won’t change anyone’s mind – for that is not the point of most football commentary.   “Be more like Manchester C and have a centre forward” is the cry.

Anyway on the basis of the last six games, Everton will play for a draw and Arsenal of course need to go for the win.   So let’s see how the results of the season have panned out for the two clubs at home and away…

 

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
2	Arsenal away	15	7	6	2	25	13	12	27
13	Everton home	15	4	7	4	21	18	3	19

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Arsenal remain the second-best away team in the entire Premier League this season (funny how the media never point that out), while Everton’s home form is below average.   It is of course better than the home form of Tottenham Hots, but then, so are most teams (literally!)

What I think is particularly noticeable is that Arsenal away from home manage to knock in more goals and concede fewer goals than Everton on their own patch – and I imagine they will be jolly glad to leave the wretched place at the end of the season.    But for now Arsenal have a goal difference away from home 400% better than Everton at home.

Arsenal also have the second-best goal difference away from home in the League this season.  Not bad for a club who are in such despeate straits that they don’t even have a centre forward!

More anon….