- Darren England is the referee for Everton game, and what that means
- Everton v Arsenal, and why Arsenal should not emulate Mancester C
By Tony Attwood
We have had a look in the recent posts about the last six games and the home and away figures, and indeed the referee’s penchant for certain results, but what about Arsenal and Everton against each other?
The clubs have met over 200 times competitively and Arsenal are so far ahead of Everton it is a wonder that the blues still both to turn up. Arsenal have won 112 games, Everton 65 and 47 have been drawn.
Everton did have a decent spell between April 2019 and February 2023 during the course of which the clubs played each other eight times and Everton won five times and Arsenal won just twice. But there was a warning sign just before the end of that run, when on 22 May 2022 Arsenal beat Everton 5-1.
Everton however seemed to be too wound up arguing about League corruption relating to their points deduction to think of building a good side, and they managed to lose three and draw one of the subsequent four games beyond that run, conceding seven and scoring one. The excuse indeed is that they have been focussed too much on their new riverside stadium (or the points deduction, or something else), and maybe see themselves as a sort of Fulham of the north west, but without the most expensive restaurant in London – because they aren’t in London, I suppose.
Since winning the league in 1987 things have gone down a bit, and for the last five seasons, they have finished outside the top half of the table. Indeed in each of the last five seasons, they have ended up with a negative goal difference.
Indeed since 1991/2 they have finished in the bottom half of the table 18 times. So the run of three consecutive wins against Arsenal between December 2020 and December 21 was quite a turn-up, although it did coincide with Arsenal’s own team rebuilding programme.
But the lack of a league title since 1987 does put them more in the realms of Tottenham Hots than in the vicinity of Arsenal.
Arsenal have however knocked in a few good scores against Everton. Some of us might recall 11 May 2005 with a 7-0 win, and maybe 15 August 2009 with a 1-6 away win for the start of the season, which was particular fun since the commercial TV channel showing the match made a complete balls-up of the event, talking up Everton from the start, and saying how “unfortunate” it was that the special nature of the day (I forget what it was) should be spoiled in this day by them losing.
More recently in the 2017/18 season Arsenal knocked in five against them in both League matches, and we knocked in five again in May 2022.
Everton have now had five consecutive seasons with a negative goal difference, and again this tells us quite a bit about how much they have been looking forward to playing by the side of the river, rather than focussing on their team.
As far as I know, the supporters have now stopped revolting, perhaps understanding that their protestations were actually making themselves more of a laughing stock than getting anyone to take up their cause. If they really want to know about bent football they should have come and talk to some Arsenal supporters who over the years have seen refereeing the likes of which is not seen elsewhere. Recent articles on this site carry the details.
Everton’s last trophy was in 1995 – the FA Cup, which they have won five times and Everton are now sitting on a debt of half a billion pounds, and it is hard to see how they are going to pay this off. They don’t have the money to invest in superstars who will allow them to win anything, the stadium has to be paid for, and they actually don’t have many players they can afford to sell, or will get a decent amount for.
A riverside stadium seems a nice idea but it was only a couple of years back that auditors suggested that tt was a “material uncertainty” over Everton’s ability to operate as a going concern in the event of relegation.
But even though they can go around saying they play in a world-class stadium from next season, that doesn’t help get rid of a half a billion pounds worth of debt, when there isn’t the money to buy a stream of top players.
It doesn’t look that clever.
I expect a parked bus and a “low-block” which will be hard to break down. Even the superb, all-conquering, magnificent, media-endorsed Lverpool only manage a one (suspect?) goal victory against them. Everton are likely to be a tough opponent, especially with their extra man in the miiddle of the pitch (the one with the whistle)