Everton meet Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday with European football in sight.
David Moyes is currently sitting just five points away from fifth place in the Premier League – which could be enough for a UEFA Champions League spot this season – and will be keen to upset his former player Mikel Arteta in north London as Europe potentially beckons for Everton.
It will undoubtedly be tough to beat an Arsenal side who have lost just three games in all competitions this season and sit seven points clear at the top – but the Toffees have already worked on a blueprint which has proven to irritate the Gunners.
Which do you prefer? 😬
Everton v Burnley - Premier League
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Why David Moyes has to deploy his 3-4-2-1 formation from the start in Arsenal vs Everton
Some fans may recall Moyes switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation for the second half of the 1-1 draw against Leeds back in January.
It was quite a random move from the Glaswegian – who rarely changes his tactics – but it led to rapid improvement from his side.
Everton fought back from 1-0 down to equalise while playing in that shape, and came incredibly close to snatching all three points as Idrissa Gueye hit the crossbar shortly after the goal from Thierno Barry.
Moyes has refrained from using the formation again since that draw for whatever reason, but there is concrete proof that Arteta struggles to handle the 3-4-2-1 system.
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Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Wednesday evening, struggling as the German side came within seconds of a 1-0 win whilst set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Not only that, but Wolves also managed to record a 2-2 draw against Arsenal in February using that very same formation, as Rob Edwards saw his side battle back from 2-0 down.
Even when reviewing a 1-0 win over Newcastle on the official Arsenal website last season, the Gunners admitted the shape causes them issues when writing: “Newcastle outplayed us early on in this encounter, causing numerous problems with their 3-4-2-1 formation, speed and movement.”
Should David Moyes play with a back three and wing-backs more regularly for Everton?
Here's an XI the manager could go with after the switch-up vs Leeds… 🤔
A custom graphic showing Everton in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Credit: GRV Media
So, Moyes could well get one over on Arteta and throw a spanner in the title race if the 62-year-old chooses to dust off his 3-4-2-1 formation for the clash in north London this Saturday evening.
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