Alan Smith believes Arsenal will have to grind out a result when they take on Everton this weekend.
The Gunners will play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time on Saturday night, and speaking to Best Betting Sites UK, Smith said that, while Mikel Arteta’s side will not have everything go their way, he thinks they will secure all three points:
Most Read on Gooner News
“Could be a tough one for Arsenal, but I’m going to go 3-1 to the Gooners.”
Smith’s prediction would mean that the Gunners would be top at Christmas, but they also have two more Premier League fixtures before the end of the year against Brighton and Aston Villa.
Everton’s home form this season
Having left their historic home, Goodison Park, last summer, some anticipated that it would take a while for the Toffees to make their new stadium a difficult venue to play at.
However, barring two uncharacteristic defeats to Tottenham and Newcastle, the Hill Dickinson Stadium has been a happy hunting ground so far, with 4 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in eight league fixtures.
Everton vs Arsenal team news
Riccardo Calafiori will return from suspension after serving his one-match ban for 5 yellow cards against Wolves. In terms of injuries, Kai Havertz (knee), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Gabriel (abductor), Ben White (hamstring) and Max Dowman (ankle) are not expected to be available for the trip to Merseyside.
Everton, meanwhile, could be without Jack Grealish, who has a tight hamstring. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was substituted against Chelsea with a similar injury. Merlin Rohl is in the final stages of his rehab following hernia surgery, while Jarrad Branthwaite and Seamus Coleman are on the treatment table with serious hamstring injuries.
The Toffees will also be without two key players, Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye, who will be representing Senegal at the African Cup of Nations.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here