Our prediction for this Premier League match:
Buoyed by a hard-fought 1-0 win over Leicester City, Arsenal will look to retain top position when they face Everton in a postponed Premier League game on Wednesday. The Gunners faced no difficulties in the King Power Stadium clash, with the team preventing the Foxes from creating a descent goal-scoring opportunity, but Mikel Arteta’s men need to keep on winning on a regular basis if they are to win their first EPL trophy since 2004.
The midweek game comes too early for Gabriel Jesus, who is back in training, with Mohamed Elneny missing out as well. The Toffees, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa, and seeing that they were hammered by Arsenal (1-5) in their last meeting at Emirates Stadium, home win should be considered. As for the visiting side, both Andros Townsend and Dominic Calwert-Lewin are sidelined with injuries.
Highlighted Player (Granit Xhaka):
Granit Xhaka is widely regarded as one of Europe’s most talented central midfielders at the moment and he is on the radar of quite a few high-profile sides. Just two seasons at FC Basel proved enough to attract interest from Borussia M’gladbach, who secured his signature in the summer of 2012.
The Switzerland international had a slow start to his career in Germany, causing many pundits to start doubting his credentials, but he eventually turn things around to show he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Xhaka impressed fans and pundits alike with his performances in Bundesliga and European competitions, and he even managed to score a couple of important goals in the process.
Despite his fragile age, the highly regarded footballer has been a key member of the Switzerland national team for quite some time now, scoring 6 goals in his first 40 caps to establish himself as a real leader of the Rossocrociati. The 2014 World Cup, where he scored one goal in four starts, should prove just the first of many major tournaments to come.
Highlighted Team (Everton):
Everton are one of the two Merseyside giants that were formed back in 1878, with the club holding a long-standing rivalry with Liverpool. Everton have participated in the English top flight for a record 113 seasons, with the team competing in the English second tier in just four campaigns.
The Toffees play their home matches at Goodison Park, the stadium that was opened in 1892. Everton have won the national championship nine times, with the team winning their last domestic trophy back in 1987.
The Toffees have clinched five FA Cup trophies as well and it has to be noted that a victory over Manchester United in the 1994/1995 FA Cup final helped the team win their last title in the prestigious competition. Everton and Liverpool face each other in the Merseyside derby and the clash between the two local rivals has been called the Merseyside derby since 1955.
In the 2015/2016 Premier League campaign Everton were hammered by Liverpool (0-4) at Anfield.