Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's first ever trip to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton.
Arsenal face Everton amid tricky Premier League spell
The Gunners hold a slender two-point lead over Man City atop the Premier League table heading into their trip to Merseyside, though they could drop to second if Pep Guardiola's men defeat West Ham earlier in the day.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta applauds fans after the match
Arsenal arrive following a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wolves, secured via Yerson Mosquera's 94th-minute own goal, though the performance raised concerns about their current form.
That being said, history overwhelmingly favours the visitors in this fixture.
Arsenal have registered 102 league wins against Everton—more than against any other opponent in English top-flight history—while scoring a record 345 goals against the Toffees across both Premier League and First Division eras.
The north Londoners' dominance spans generations, with Arsenal legend Ian Wright scoring 12 times against Everton during his career.
Ian-Wright-Arsenal (1)
Recent meetings, however, tell a different story.
Last season's encounters produced consecutive draws - a goalless stalemate at the Emirates followed by a 1-1 Goodison Park draw that damaged Arsenal's title aspirations.
Everton's resurgence under David Moyes complicates matters. The Toffees sit ninth after winning four of their last six games, though last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Chelsea halted their momentum.
Everton manager David Moyes celebrates after the match
Moyes' second spell has transformed Everton into genuine challengers for Europe, so they'll be no easy customers this weekend.
The Gunners also face mounting injury concerns.
Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, Kai Havertz and Max Dowman all remain sidelined, forcing Riccardo Calafiori's return from suspension into an already stretched backline.
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It's bad to worse for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal have kept just one clean sheet across their last six Premier League games while conceding first in each of their last three away matches.
Their weakened backline was compounded by reports that White will be out until mid-January after pulling up with a hamstring injury against Wolves, but Arteta has shared a 'positive' update on the Englishman and Gabriel.
Mikel Arteta shares 'positive' injury update out of Arsenal
While both White and his Brazilian teammate remain out, Arteta told reporters in his pre-match press conference that he expects the former to heal pretty quickly.
BEN WHITE
"Yeah, he’s out. He’s evolving well, it’s not a major injury, but it will keep him out for a few games, I think," Arteta said about White.
"I don’t think it’s going to be (a major injury) and Ben is a really fast healer as well, so there’s hope that we’re going to have him in the next few games."
Arteta also says that Arsenal are 'positive' about Gabriel's condition, and he's evolving really well.
Gabriel Arsenal injury
"He’s [Gabriel] pushing hard, as he always does every time he’s out, and he’s evolving really well," Arteta continued.
"He’s doing pitch sessions, so he’s not too far. We have to see in the next stages of that rehab, how he progresses, but we are quite positive about it."
After Everton, Arsenal have a slew of difficult fixtures to contend with.
Aston Villa and Liverpool are chief among the high-profile matches waiting for Arteta, and with City breathing down their necks, absolutely nothing but a win will do at Everton tomorrow.