Mikel Arteta may decide to give Arsenal’s new signing his debut against Everton.
Arsenal will return to Premier League play in four days. However, given their recent performance against Everton, Mikel Arteta may have wished to avoid this matchup in the first game back after the international break.
On Sunday, the Spanish manager will return to his former club knowing that Thomas Partey (groin) and Jurrien Timber (ACL) are the only two senior players who will be unable to travel to Goodison Park. With 16 international stars set to return momentarily, it remains to be seen if this number rises.
Arteta should have a nearly full-strength roster to choose from against a Toffees team that has lost both of its home games so far this season. Prior to the resumption of the Premier League and the start of the football season, there are a number of Arsenal-related topics of football.London has traversed them below.
David Raya
It has been exactly two years since Arteta made the audacious decision to replace Bernd Leno with Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal recorded their first clean sheet of the 2021/22 season with a 1-0 victory over Norwich City. The situation has changed slightly since the conclusion of the international break, but Arsenal’s current number one has been under duress since the acquisition of David Raya.
So, is it possible that Ramsdale will be on the losing end of a decision he previously benefited from? Indeed, it has been proposed. According to the reports, Raya could soon be granted a debut after impressing in training since his arrival. It remains to be seen whether this occurs on Sunday, but Arteta has made it plain that he desires competition for all positions.
Havertz will be selected over Fabio Vieira.
Central defense and midfield appear to be the two positions that garner the most interest whenever an Arsenal starting lineup is released this season, as Arteta has used the first four games to experiment with the system, frequently at the expense of Gabriel Magalhaes.
Given Everton’s significant aerial threat, it would be surprising if the Brazilian, presuming he is healthy, did not start at Goodison Park. Further forward and in the absence of Partey, it will be intriguing to see what the Arsenal manager decides to do in the engine room in response to demands for Fabio Vieira to be brought in.
As a result of the playmaker’s game-changing contributions as a substitute against Fulham and Manchester United, he will be promoted to the starting lineup. Considering that Portugal did not designate him for international duty, he will be one of the freshest players in the squad.
Kai Havertz could replace Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the midfield against Everton. Although the £65 million summer signing hasn’t exactly hit the ground running, he’s probably better equipped than Vieira to ensure that the Gunners don’t get outfought at Goodison Stadium again, and his height could be an advantage when defending set-pieces.
Unsettling away performance against Everton
In recent years, Goodison Park has not been a pleasant hunting ground for Arsenal. Arteta’s team has outscored Everton by nine goals in the last two meetings when the teams meet in the south, but there is a stark contrast in results when traveling to the north.
The last occasion Arsenal won this match was in October 2017. Their record since then is P:5 W:0, D:1, L:4, F:2, A:6. Even more worrisome is the fact that Arteta is responsible for three of these losses, as he has not fared well when returning to his former stomping grounds.
It is safe to say that Arsenal has a lot of work to do on Sunday, and there is an argument that now is the ideal moment to face Everton. They are in the relegation zone, winless in the league, and have lost both home games this season. However, last year’s corresponding matchup demonstrates otherwise.
Mikel Arteta may decide to give Arsenal’s new signing his debut against Everton.