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Everton 2 Arsenal 5: Ronald Koeman on the brink after five-star Gunners claim much-needed away win

Ozil led the way for Arsenal, leaving Koeman's job on the line - Getty Images
Ozil led the way for Arsenal, leaving Koeman's job on the line - Getty Images

If this was the end for Ronald Koeman it came not with a bang but with the most pitiful of whimpers. This is how you know your time may be up: when Mesut Ozil out jumps your entire defence to score a header.

“You’re getting sacked in the morning,” was the gleeful cry from the visiting fans as the Everton manager stood forlorn and powerless at the game’s conclusion. Frankly, after this showing, Koeman will be lucky to last that long. Seeing your team outplayed, out thought and even – heaven forfend – out muscled by Arsenal is not the most vivid demonstration that you are the man to lead this fine old club out of its dramatic slump.

And to think, after the abject home performance against Lyon in the Europa League, a match which had done little more than showcase the multi-tasking capabilities of local fathers as they combined child care with hooliganism, things had started rather well for the beleaguered Everton boss. When his side actually took the lead here after just twelve minutes it looked as if his luck had finally changed.

Arsenal had begun the game with a zip, passing the ball at pace between the Everton lines, prising open the home defence as if it were constructed of melting butter. But as is their wont, they had failed to capitalise on dominance, squandering three cunningly worked one-on-ones. Actually squander is a little harsh on Jordan Pickford, who saved brilliantly from both Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette.

Everton's Dutch manager Ronald Koeman (L) watches from the touchline during the English Premier League football match - Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Time looks to be running out on Koeman's reign Credit: AFP/Getty Images

But then, with twelve minutes gone, Idressa Gueye slid in on the perpetually dawdling Granit Xhaka in the middle of the Arsenal half. Wayne Rooney picked up the loose ball, waited for runners to distract attention, then took two touches before curling a beautiful shot past Petr Cech. Almost fifteen years to the day since he announced himself to the world with a spectacular goal against Arsenal, he reminded us he was still around with another.

The bad news for Koeman was it never seemed likely to keep a plodding, unimaginative, incoherent Everton in the game. Arsenal may have been profligate in the opening moments, but they were in sufficient control to keep conjuring up chances. Pickford had already saved well turn an Alexis Sanchez strike round the post before the inevitable equaliser came. This time the goalkeeper could only parry a Xhaka shot straight into Nacho Monreal’s path. The defender slammed the ball home in a manner that might have been meant as instruction to his forward colleagues.

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

In a bid to add some zest, at half time Koeman brought Tom Davies on for Ashley Williams. It did little to invigorate his insipid side. The second half had barely got underway when, invited to run by Lacazette’s pass, Sanchez scooted down the left and snapped a lovely cross into the box. Ozil, arriving ahead of Phil Jagielka, deftly headed home. It was the first time Arsene Wenger had played Lacazette, Sanchez and Ozil together. Watching them combine so fluently, you could only wonder what took him so long. As the chances began to arrive with metronomic regularity, Ozil was by now running the game, playing with a broadening grin on his face.

“He was superb, agile, quick, intelligent, always at the service of the team with the quality of his passing,” said Wenger, whose 68th birthday could not have gone more sweetly. “He’s an exceptional football player.”

Arsenal's Nacho Monreal scores their first goal - Credit:  Action Images via Reuters
Monreal opens the scoring for Arsenal Credit: Action Images via Reuters

Any hope Koeman might have had of streaking a recovery evaporated on 68 minutes when Gueye, until then key to what little effective play the home side could conjure, launched himself at Xhaka’s ankles and was dismissed for a second bookable offence. It was the cue to an avalanche. 14 shots on target Arsenal conjured as Everton’s defence chased shadows.

The third Arsenal goal came when Ozil drifted unopposed down the right and, with colleagues lining up in the area, found Lacazette who gleefully side footed home. Koeman hardly enhanced his standing with the home fans when he substituted the local favourite Dominic Calvert-Lewin, an announcement widely booed. Unlike the reaction to the news that Jack Wilshere, whose name had been chanted throughout by the visiting supporters, was to come on for Lacazette.  

Idrissa Gueye is sent off in the second half - Credit: Action Images via Reuters
Idrissa Gueye is sent off in the second half Credit: Action Images via Reuters

And when Ramsey added the fourth at the end of normal time, the trickle of those in the home stands heading for the exits turned into a flood. This was a wholesale demonstration of voting with their feet, with thousands missing first the substitute Oumar Niasse’s stumbled late, late consolation for Everton and, perhaps fortuitously, Sanchez’s brilliant solo effort to give Arsenal a fifth goal.

“Taxi for Koeman,” someone shouted as that strike finally crushed local spirits. What was most telling about his chances of surviving this crisis is that, by the time the final whistle blew, there was barely anyone left in Goodison to order him one.

3:28PM

Shots galore

Arsenal had 30 shots in the match - one every three minutes. It really could have been any score, but birthday boy Arsene Wenger will be delighted to see his team claim their first away win of the season. 

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

3:25PM

Full-time

That's it - Arsenal come away with a 5-2 win, and are up to fifth. Everton drop to 18th and find themselves in the relegation zone. 

3:24PM

GOAL! Everton 2 Arsenal 5 (Sanchez 90+5)

What a strange game this has been, and it ends with a third goal in five minutes. Ramsey flicks the ball beautifully into Sanchez's pass, and the striker sidesteps his way past a few limp challenges before firing a brilliant low shot into the far corner. 

Everton 2 - 5 Arsenal (Alexis Sánchez, 90 + 5 min)

3:21PM

GOAL! Everton 2 Arsenal 4 (Niasse 90+3')

That is absolutely awful from Arsenal, as Monreal sells Cech short with a weak back-pass that ends with Niasse tackling the Arsenal goalkeeper and walking in a late consolation goal. 

Everton 2 - 4 Arsenal (Oumar Niasse, 90 + 3 min)

3:18PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Arsenal 4 (Ramsey 90')

He's been sniffing around looking for a goal all game, and finally Ramsey does get on the scoresheet. Wilshere does brilliantly to create the chance with a pin-point through ball, before Ramsey takes a touch and passes the ball home at Pickford's near post. 

Everton 1 - 4 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey, 90 min)

3:16PM

89 min

Now it's Kolasinac's turn to have a chance, but he can't direct his header goalwards from Sanchez's excellent cross. 

3:14PM

86 min

Koscielny is booked for clipping Niasse. Cue ironic cheers from Goodison Park from the Everton fans who feel they've been hard done by this afternoon. 

3:12PM

85 min

What a hit that is from Xhaka, but his 25-yard piledriver crashes onto the crossbar. Arsenal then canter through again, but Wilshere is eventually forced wide and his cross is hacked clear. 

Everton are absolutely all over the place. This really could have been about 10-1. 

3:11PM

83 min

Alexis really should have his first Premier League goal of the campaign, but he nods Bellerin's cross wide from a few yards out at the near post. 

3:09PM

82 min

Arsenal look like scoring now every time they win back possession. Sanchez looks set to score his first league goal of the season, but Wilshere overhits his attempted through ball to the Chilean. 

The outstanding Ozil is then replaced by Coquelin. 

Ozil
Ozil

3:07PM

80 min

Davies has a go from range but it's a pea-roller straight into Cech's grateful arms. It's Everton's first shot on target since their goal. 

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

3:06PM

79 min

Wilshere's first contribution is to over-hit a pass that rolls straight out of play. Jack's back! 

3:05PM

78 min

Big moment for Jack Wilshere, who comes on for Lacazette to make his first Arsenal appearance in the Premier League for 14 months. 

3:03PM

75 min

Everton respond with a double change - Lookman and Niasse on for Calvert-Lewin and Rooney. 

3:02PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Arsenal 3 (Lacazette 74')

Vlasic gives the ball away to Bellerin, who works the ball to Ozil via Sanchez. Ozil strolls forward and picks Lacazette out with a pin-point pull-back, and the Frenchman picks out the top corner. Finally a well-deserved assist for Ozil!

Everton 1 - 3 Arsenal (Alexandre Lacazette, 74 min)

2:59PM

72 min

Arsenal monopolising possession since that red, and trying to take the sting out of the game. 

Possession: Everton vs Arsenal

2:56PM

69 min

Red card! Gueye gets a second booking for flying into a tackle on Xhaka. No arguments from Everton there, and that has been coming pretty much from the moment Gueye was booked in the first half. 

Idrissa Gana Gueye
Idrissa Gana Gueye

2:55PM

68 min

It's so quiet at Goodison Park where the atmosphere has been pretty flat all afternoon. Koeman surely is thinking about a sub to try and freshen things up. 

2:53PM

66 min

The mic picked up an Arsenal voice saying "leave it" as an Everton cross came in from the right. Technically a bookable offence, that. 

2:51PM

64 min

Koscielny is going on a few mazy runs down the right, and another one ends with him slipping a ball up the line to Ramsey, whose cross is well cut out by the substitute Davies. 

From the resulting corner, Sanchez works the space for a shot that is blocked by Gueye. 

2:49PM

62 min

Calvert-Lewin is fine to continue, and the game resumes. 

Mesut Ozil 
Mesut Ozil celebrates making it 2-1

2:47PM

59 min

A bit of a stoppage as Calvert-Lewin receives treatment after being accidentally caught in the face by the back of Monreal's boot. 

2:43PM

55 min

Should have been 3-1. Koscielny gallops forward down the right and finds Ramsey with a clever pull-back. Ramsey though leans back and sends his shot well over from the penalty spot. Wasteful again from Arsenal. 

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

2:41PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Arsenal 2 (Ozil 53')

Another wonderful Arsenal move finally ends in a goal, as Sanchez lifts in a perfect cross from the left that Ozil meets with a bullet header. It all started when an Everton attack broke down and Ramsey and Lacazette led a swift counter-attack. That sort of thing has been happening all afternoon. 

Everton 1 - 2 Arsenal (Mesut Özil, 53 min)

2:40PM

52 min

Kenny does brilliantly down the Everton right to skip past Kolasinac and burst into the box, but Koscielny comes across to make the clearance. 

2:38PM

50 min

The visitors on the front foot at the start of the half, but Bellerin and then Koscielny fail to find a team-mate with crosses from the right. 

Nacho Monreal (L) in action with Wayne Rooney
Nacho Monreal (L) in action with Wayne Rooney

2:36PM

49 min

Arsenal have a free-kick from about 35 yards out that Alexis decides to shoot from. It's a poor effort though and smashes into Vlasic. 

2:35PM

48 min

Keane heads over at the near post after Sigurdsson sends in another deep free-kick from the right. 

2:33PM

46 min

We're back under way, and there was an Everton change at half-time - Davies on for Williams, who was on a yellow card. So Everton have reverted to four at the back, and surely they can't be as open as they were in that first half? 

2:30PM

Ozil due an assist

2:24PM

First-half summary

What a strange half that was. Arsenal should be at least two or three goals to the good, but a combination of wasteful finishing and inspired Pickford goalkeeping means it's level at the break. It was looking even worse for Arsenal until Monreal's equaliser after Rooney had given Everton an early lead against the run of play. 

Gueye has been excellent for Everton - though Arsenal will be relieved he's now on a yellow card - but Pickford has been the game's outstanding performer, and made eight saves already.

For Arsenal, Ozil has been excellent and were it not for his team-mates profligacy could have a few assists to his name already.  

You'd think Koeman would have to change things at half-time because Everton have been exposed again and again, especially on the counter. 

Arsenal have had 17 shots already, and nine on target. 

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

2:18PM

45+2 mins

Sigurdsson loops in a free-kick that Calvert-Lewin heads over. It looked like a deflection off Koscielny but goal-kick is the verdict. 

The half-time whistle then goes and it's 1-1 at the break. 

2:16PM

45 min

Ozil today must be feeling like a bowler whose fielders keep dropping catches. He's created so many goalscoring opportunities, and yet a first assist of the season continues to elude him.  

Two minutes of time to be added on. 

2:14PM

44 min

I wonder how many times I'll type this before the game is out, but it's another excellent save from Pickford, who comes out quickly to smother Alexis's dinked effort. Once again it was Ozil who created the chance. 

Attempt Saved: Everton 1 - 1 Arsenal (Alexis Sánchez, 44 min)

2:13PM

43 min

Monreal is furious at Calvert-Lewin after the Everton striker nudges him off the pitch into the advertising hoardings. Calvert-Lewin's punishment is a quite word from the ref. 

2:11PM

41 min

It could be two in two minutes for Arsenal, but Bellerin shoots wastefully wide at the near post when he had plenty of options in the middle. Cue inevitable commentator complaint about the need to go across goal in that type of situation. 

2:10PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Arsenal 1 (Monreal 40')

At last. Arsenal finally get on the scoresheet. Xhaka's deflected shot is parried, and Monreal follows up brilliantly with a left-footed half-volley that Pickford can't keep out. That's two goals in three matches for Monreal. 

Everton 1 - 1 Arsenal (Nacho Monreal, 40 min)

2:08PM

37 min

Yet more wastefulness from Arsenal, who are writing the book on that particular topic this afternoon. Sanchez has Kolasinac charging into space outside him down the left, but he instead looks inside for Ramsey and overhits the pass. 

Everton
Everton

2:05PM

35 min

Fair play to Gueye, that booking has clearly not affected his appetite for a tackle, as moments after receiving the yellow card he goes charging into a challenge inside the box and wins the ball cleanly from Bellerin.  

2:04PM

34 min

Gueye goes into the book for persistent fouling - the latest one is a little clip of Sanchez's heels. 

2:02PM

32 min

From the resulting free-kick, an Everton clearance lands at Bellerin's feet on the edge of the box. The Spaniard catches his shot well but Pickford makes the save. 

Everton vs Arsenal shots on goal

2:01PM

31 min

Arsenal players are furious with Craig Pawson, who elects against showing Williams a second yellow card for impeding Lacazette. To be fair to the Everton defender there wasn't a great deal in that. 

2:00PM

30 min

Another promising Arsenal move - featuring some lovely interplay with Ozil and Sanchez - ends with Pickford claiming Bellerin's low cross. 

1:57PM

27 min

More good Everton pressure, which ends with Rooney's left-footed cross nodded wide by Calvert-Lewin. 

Everton
Everton

1:54PM

24 min

Gueye has just put in another superb tackle to win the ball off Ramsey - the midfielder has really been superb today. Vlasic then does brilliantly to power his way into a crossing position down the left, but Mertesacker again is in the right position to get the ball away.  

1:52PM

21 min

Everton pushing for a second, but Mertesacker gets across well to block Baines' low cross from the left. 

Possession: Everton vs Arsenal

1:49PM

18 min

Surely by the law of averages Arsenal will score eventually, but at the moment it just won't go in. Lacazette is again close, but his effort from the inside-right channel about 15 yards out is deflected wide by Williams' sliding challenge. 

Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette

1:47PM

16 min

Arsenal so close to an equaliser but again Pickford makes a great save. The goalkeeper spills Sanchez's free-kick but then leaps into action to deny Ramsey's attempt to smash home the rebound. 

Attempt Saved: Everton 1 - 0 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey, 16 min)

1:45PM

15 min

Blimey, it's very nearly 2-0 as Cech slips and kicks the ball straight at Calvert-Lewin. Thankfully for Arsenal, the ball ricochets wide of the goal and Monreal can clear. 

1:43PM

GOAL! Everton 1 Arsenal 0 (Rooney 12')

Well wouldn't you just know it?! Arsenal have been completely in charge, but it's Everton who take the lead. Gueye dispossesses Xhaka high up the pitch with an excellent tackle that sends the ball into Rooney's path. Rooney takes a touch and then bends one perfectly into the top corner. 15 years since scoring against Arsenal as a 16-year-old, Rooney has done it again.  

Fingers will be pointed at Xhaka again for his role in that. 

Everton 1 - 0 Arsenal (Wayne Rooney, 12 min)

1:40PM

9 min

How are Arsenal not in front? Everton again so exposed as Arsenal break clear, but Lacazette smashes a shot straight at Pickford from about six yards out. It was a brilliant turn by the Frenchman to get the chance from Ramsey's cross, but once he'd done that it really should have been 1-0. 

Arsenal were very wasteful against Watford last week, and it's been a similar story so far here.  

1:37PM

7 min

Pickford is called into action again as Lacazette fizzes one in at him from an acute angle down the left. It was another sumptuous Ozil pass that created the chance. 

1:36PM

6 min

Everton look very vulnerable at the moment, with Rooney's forays forward leaving Gueye pretty isolated in central midfield. 

1:35PM

5 min

Arsenal appealing for a penalty after Pickford bundles into Sanchez. It would have been harsh, but just before Keane was lucky that Sanchez stayed up just before rather than going down as the defender slid in. 

1:33PM

3 min

What a chance for Arsenal! A lovely move ends with Ozil slipping in Ramsey, but the Welshman's effort from about 12 yards out is saved by Pickford. That really should have been 1-0. 

Attempt Saved: Everton 0 - 0 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey, 3 min)

1:32PM

2 min

Sigurdsson floats a free-kick from around 40 yards out into the swirling wind, but Arsenal can comfortably clear. Gueye puts in a meaty tackle on Ozil to the delight of the home crowd.  

1:30PM

Kick-off

We're under way at Goodison Park. 

A reminder of the teams for this one:

Everton: Pickford, Kenny, Keane, Williams, Jagielka, Baines, Sigurdsson, Gueye, Vlasic, Rooney, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Joel, Mirallas, Martina, Niasse, Klaassen, Davies, Lookman

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Ramsey, Xhaka, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette

Subs: Macey, Holding, Coquelin, Wilshere, Iwobi, Walcott, Giroud

Arsenal
Arsenal

1:26PM

Teams are out

Kick-off is just a few minutes away. 

1:23PM

Hillier breaks his silence

I wonder what percentage of Arsenal's Twitter following has a clue who David Hillier is. 

1:13PM

Away day blues

Arsenal's away record in 2017 really is shockingly bad. They're yet to win away in the league this season, and overall they have picked up just 14 points on the road - the same as West Ham, Watford, Burnley. By way of context, Spurs have picked up 32, while Manchester City and Chelsea have both claimed 29. 

Xhaka
Xhaka

1:05PM

Nostalgia

There have been many wonderful goals scored in this fixture - Rooney's stunning winner as a 16-year-old springs to mind - but surely none weirder than this bizarre Sylvain Wiltord effort from February 2002.

It proved to be a significant goal, as it ensured a 1-0 win that was the first of 14 straight league victories that swept Arsenal to the title. 

12:56PM

Koeman vs Wenger

Wenger, who celebrates his 68th birthday, has never much enjoyed facing team's managed by Koeman. The Dutchman has won five of the meetings between the pair to Wenger's three, with the other five ending in draws. 

There's been a bit of needle between the pair as well in the past, with Koeman feeling that Wenger has been a sore loser when Arsenal have been defeated. 

After Everton's 2-1 win last December, Koeman responded to Wenger's criticism of referee Mark Clattenburg by saying: "I'm not surprised because it's the third [home game] in a row I won against Arsenal and three times in a row it was about the referee.

"I'm sorry Arsenal, we won through the referee."

Koeman and Wenger
Koeman and Wenger

12:44PM

Preamble

Afternoon all,

Welcome to the first of today's Premier League double header, which will definitively tell us whether  north London or Merseyside is the greater football powerhouse. 

In the 1.30 KO we have an Arsenal side reeling from last week's defeat at Watford against an Everton team still coming to terms with the fact that a supporter punched an opposition player while holding his child in their last match. 

While that may sound more like a story from the Sky 1 drama Dream Team, it did actually happen, and is in keeping with Everton's disastrous season to date. 

After a summer spent buying loads of players for loads of money, but failing to sign a striker despite Romelu Lukaku's departure, Ronald Koeman's side have failed to gel, and the manager increasingly looks as though he's been sleeping on a park bench. 

Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman has had a tough time of it of late

Thankfully for Koeman, everyone's favourite punch-bag Arsenal could be just what his ailing, 16th-placed side needs to perk them up. Arsene Wenger's merry bunch of weaklings are fresh from having their collective head flushed down the toilet by Troy Deeney last week, and a trip north of Hertfordshire will probably leave Granit Xhaka et al. asking matron if they can get a sicknote to miss this match.

In the equivalent fixture last season, Everton were in similarly poor form having won  just one of their previous 10 matches but they roused themselves and won 2-1 against an off-colour Arsenal. 

Today is a match that neither side can afford to lose given the swirling discontent at both Goodison and the Emirates, so we could be in for a cautious 90 minutes. That said, it has never been Arsene Wenger's style to set up a team that is difficult to beat, so maybe we're just as likely to have a 3-0 win either way. Plus Arsenal - who would leap from 7th to 5th win a win today - have only drawn three times in their last 34 Premier League matches, so a stalemate looks unlikely. 

It's a very difficult one to call as both teams are capable of staggering ineptitude, but I'll go with Everton 2 Arsenal 1. 

12:40PM

What does it all mean? 

So, Everton look like they're lining up win a 3-4-3, with Williams, Keane and Jagielka all starting at centre-backs. Schneiderlin misses out with injury, while Calvert-Lewin gets the nod over Niasse up front. 

For Arsenal, Ozil, Sanchez and Lacazette start together for the first time, while Ramsey is back in central midfield alongside Xhaka, who remains in the team despite his dereliction of duty against Watford last week.  

Ozil
Ozil

12:34PM

Team news

The teams are in for this one...

Everton: Pickford, Kenny, Keane, Williams, Jagielka, Baines, Sigurdsson, Gueye, Vlasic, Rooney, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Joel, Mirallas, Martina, Niasse, Klaassen, Davies, Lookman.

Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Ramsey, Xhaka, Ozil, Sanchez, Lacazette

Subs: Macey, Holding, Coquelin, Wilshere, Iwobi, Walcott, Giroud

12:32PM

Preview

What is it?

It's the first of a big Super Sunday double-header - Everton vs Arsenal at Goodison Park.

When is it?

It's on Sunday October 22 - ie today.

What time is kick-off?

It's a 1.30pm start.

What TV channel is it on?

Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HD. Alternatively, you can follow the match here throughout the afternoon.

What does the PL table look like? 

What is the team news?

Everton:

James McCarthy could make his first-team comeback in Everton's Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday having recovered from his knee injury.

Fellow midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin limped off during Thursday's 2-1 Europa League loss to Lyon but is expected to be able to feature in the contest at Goodison Park this weekend.

Wayne Rooney, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are set to return to the matchday squad after being rested for the game against the French side, along with Oumar Niasse, who was ineligible on Thursday.

Provisional squad: Pickford, Stekelenburg, Williams, Keane, Jagielka, Holgate, Martina, Baines, Schneiderlin, Gueye, Besic, McCarthy, Klaassen, Sigurdsson, Rooney, Davies, Vlasic, Lookman, Mirallas, Sandro, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse.

Pick your Everton team to play Arsenal

Arsenal:

Arsene Wenger will make a raft of changes for Arsenal's Premier League trip to Everton but will be without forward Danny Welbeck.

The Gunners won 1-0 at Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday but a host of first-team players did not travel to Serbia and will return at Goodison Park, while Wenger will hope both Laurent Koscielny and Aaron Ramsey will be fit enough to be in contention.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette will be in line to start but Welbeck (groin) is missing, as are Calum Chambers (hip), Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) and Santi Cazorla (ankle).

Provisional squad: Cech, Ospina, Mertesacker, Holding, Koscielny, Monreal, Debuchy, Bellerin, Nelson, Kolasinac, Maitland-Niles, Ramsey, Wilshere, Xhaka, Elneny, Coquelin, Ozil, Giroud, Walcott, Sanchez, Iwobi, Lacazette.

Pick your Arsenal team to play Everton

What are they saying?

Ronald Koeman

And when asked on Friday if he still had strong support from Moshiri, the Dutchman said: "Yes, that has not changed.

"We have daily contact, weekly contact. Everybody is of course a little bit worried about the situation, but that's normal."

Speaking at his press conference to preview Sunday's Premier League home clash with Arsenal, Koeman - whose side are 16th in the table, and bottom of their Europa League group - added: "I hate to lose, but I am still the man, and we fight for everything to turn it around.

"Of course, the pressure is on the manager.

"I watch television and I am sometimes on social media. I know what is going around, and that's normal. That's football.

"I don't step back, I go forward. Let's hope for three points, and after Sunday everybody will be more happy maybe than yesterday."

Arsene Wenger

"It is impossible to come off that intensity (against Red Star) and then play against Everton," Wenger said when asked if wholesale changes could be expected at Goodison Park.

"Of course, I left 10 or 11 players at home and I decided to rotate at the start of the season.

"It is important to see that these players get stronger and stronger in every game. We play on Tuesday again, at home, so we have to have a global plan. We have to."

What are the odds?

  • Everton to win 3/1

  • Draw 13/5

  • Arsenal to win 10/11

What's our prediction?

The side plunged deep into crisis faces the side only ever a defeat away from crisis: this is not a match for the faint-hearted. Buoyed by victory in Europe in midweek, Arsenal will be looking to demonstrate they do indeed have cojones.

Jim White's prediction 0-2