Everton vs. Arsenal
Venue: Goodison Park
Kick off: 1:45pm
A quick glance at the Premier League table and you would expect Arsenal to be in more of an upbeat mood than Everton at this present moment in time.
However, scratch the surface even just a little bit and it becomes clear very quickly that ahead of their meeting at Goodison Park today, it is the hosting Toffees that have the more optimistic outlook out of the two clubs.
It would be fair to say that Roberto Martinez currently divides opinion among the Everton faithful.
While his footballing philosophy is rightly admired and the squad that he has assembled is the best that Goodison Park has seen for some time, results are not reflecting those points on a consistent basis. The fact that they are closer to the relegation zone than the top four highlights just how poor a domestic campaign it has been for Martinez’s men.
In his press conference before the Gunners were inevitably knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday night, Arsene Wenger spoke about his side potentially pulling off the impossible.
Yet, what has been a major source of frustration for Arsenal fans is the team’s failure over the last few seasons to fulfil the possible.
Out of the FA Cup, out of the Champions League and 11 points adrift of league leaders Leicester City (albeit with a game in hand), there is a case to be made for suggesting that Arsenal’s season is over.
One thing is for certain – failure to claim maximum points from their trip to Merseyside will end the argument. It may also force Wenger to strongly consider his position.
Everton possible starting lineup:
Robles; Coleman, Funes Mori, Jagielka, Baines; Cleverley, Besic, Lennon, McCarthy, Barkley; Lukaku
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ospina; Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal; Elneny, Coquelin; Campbell, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud