Former Everton teammates will reunite on the touchline at Goodison Park this Saturday, with David Moyes’s Toffees hosting Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in the Premier League. While Everton faced a tough loss in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool last time out, Arsenal solidified their grip on second place with a 2-1 win over Fulham at home.
The last match at the Emirates was a significant one, as several former Arsenal players returned to face their old team. Emile Smith Rowe, Bernd Leno, Willian, and Alex Iwobi all came back, but it was another familiar face—Bukayo Saka—who stole the spotlight.
Saka made his first appearance of 2025 after recovering from a serious hamstring injury. He marked his return by scoring a crucial goal just six minutes after coming on, helping Arsenal seal the win despite a late consolation goal from Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz. The victory extended Arsenal's four-point lead over third-placed Nottingham Forest, though their hopes of a Premier League title seem to be dwindling.
While Arsenal’s title chances may soon be mathematically out of reach, Arteta’s side remains firmly in control of their Champions League qualification, which has lessened the pressure ahead of their upcoming double-header with Real Madrid. Before their attention shifts to the Bernabeu, Arsenal will look to extend their unbeaten away run in the Premier League to an impressive 11 matches. However, Merseyside has historically been a difficult place for the Gunners to visit.
In fact, out of their last 26 Premier League away matches against both Everton and Liverpool, Arsenal has only managed to win three. This stat will give Moyes a bit of confidence as he looks to outsmart Arteta at his soon-to-be former home. Everton, too, will be fired up after their loss to Liverpool, which ended their nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Though they were unlucky not to go down to 10 men after James Tarkowski’s reckless challenge on Alexis Mac Allister, the Toffees still suffered a 1-0 defeat. Despite this, they remain a comfortable 14 points clear of the relegation zone.
David Moyes’ return to Goodison Park has sparked a renewed sense of optimism, but defensively, Everton has struggled. Their loss to Liverpool means they’ve conceded in eight consecutive games across all competitions and six of their last seven home matches. Last season, Arsenal managed a 1-0 victory at Goodison, ending Everton’s five-match unbeaten home run against them.
However, the Toffees held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw at the Emirates in December, and they could make history by keeping clean sheets in both of their league meetings with the Gunners this season for the first time in 112 years.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
As has been the case throughout Arsenal's season, Saka’s return comes with a few setbacks of its own. Ben White was ruled out ahead of the win against Fulham due to a minor injury, while Gabriel Magalhães (hamstring) and Jurrien Timber (knee) both picked up injuries during the derby.
With Gabriel now confirmed to be out for the remainder of the season, Jakub Kiwior will likely step in for a rare start in defense, and Thomas Partey will once again take on right-back duties. Arsenal’s injury list remains long, with Riccardo Calafiori (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Gabriel Jesus (ACL), and Kai Havertz (hamstring) all sidelined. However, after playing 30 minutes without issue in midweek, Saka is now in contention for his first start of 2025.
For Everton, James Tarkowski arguably should be suspended after the PGMOL admitted his challenge on Alexis Mac Allister warranted a red card. Despite this, Tarkowski is still available to play in the lineup.
On the injury front, Orel Mangala (knee), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh), and Jesper Lindstrøm (groin) all remain out, but Dwight McNeil (knee) has returned to training. Additionally, key attacker Iliman Ndiaye made a brief appearance in the second half during the loss to Liverpool.
Moyes might consider swapping Ndiaye in for Harrison in the attack, but otherwise, he’s likely to keep things steady rather than making major changes, avoiding the temptation to go for a five-man defensive setup.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Gueye, Garner; Ndiaye, Doucoure, Alcaraz; Beto
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Partey, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Nwaneri, Merino, Martinelli
EXPERT PREDICTION
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
