Arsenal welcome the Toffees this weekendplaceholder image
Arsenal welcome the Toffees this weekend | Getty Images
A look at the pundit predictions for Arsenal’s home clash with Everton.
Arsenal are back in Premier League action this Saturday when they face Everton in what will likely be a difficult home clash. The Gunners are currently seven points ahead of Manchester City having played a game more, and they will want to strengthen their grip here.
Everton are in a European race, just one point off the Conference League spot at this stage, so every point will count. Here we round up the pundit predictions from BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton and SportsKeeda’s Paul Merson.
Chris Sutton
“Everton are a funny team. They play some good football away from home and are often hard to beat on their travels. It's crazy how they sometimes get ripped to shreds in games and still get a result! Arsenal haven't been great in recent weeks. My god, they were lucky to get that draw against Bayer Leverkusen. They don't play free-flowing football.
“Take Chelsea for instance, even though they lost to PSG, they had a real go and showed some firepower. But you won't see that with Arsenal. It's impossible to think they would score two or three goals in a game.
“I expect Arsenal to be far too good for Leverkusen at the Emirates. But at the moment, I'm still a bit worried about them. If that was a league game they drew, they would be in trouble. This will be a tough game for Arsenal. My only problem with Everton is that they haven't produced a proper 90-minute display while winning games. They only play well in patches. If they fall off for even 30 or 45 minutes against Arsenal, it's game over!
“I expect a tight game, but Arsenal to edge it just. Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Everton.”
Chris Sutton
“Arsenal got away with a poor performance against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday thanks to Kai Havertz's late penalty against his former club. There's a chance that fatigue kicks in for them here but it shouldn't do, because they have got such great depth in their squad.
“It was quite a tight affair when these two sides met in December, but Arsenal nicked the points at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and I am expecting the same to happen this time too. Everton will make it difficult for them, and try to hang on in the game. They could easily score too, but I am going for Arsenal to find a way to win again, and get the job done. Prediction: 2-0.”
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