Everton v Arsenal Preview
There’s no hiding behind it – Everton’s recent home record against Arsenal looks about as good as Dawn French in a bikini. Thankfully those unflattering results have been an aberration rather than the norm and there is hope for the Toffees.
Last week we had to ravage through our knowledge of 70s pop-soul fusions to tell you the last time Everton beat Blackpool, but this time we can thankfully rely on a more contemporary reference. The last time Everton beat Arsenal, it was the Sugababes Vs Girls Aloud – a match-up with didn’t see on that weekend’s coupon – who topped the charts with Walk This Way and fans of sacrilegious cover versions will know that was as recent as March 2007.
A lot of Sugababes have passed under the bridge since then, but on the back of a run of seven games without defeat, Everton should fancy their chances of getting a win. The scoreline suggested Arsenal had a straightforward win at Molineux, but in truth, for large parts of the second half they were under pressure and rather lucky to keep Wolves at bay. Lukasz Fabianksi had one of his better days at the office and made a string of fine saves at a point in the match when the hosts were really threatening to claim at least a point if not all three. The good news is that after having one good game, Fabianksi is almost immediately due a bad one. What bodes well for Everton is the area of the game in which Arsenal struggle is one which the hosts are well equipped to exploit. Time and time again - against Wolves and throughout the season - Arsenal have shown a Dracula-like fondness for crosses. Wolves should have taken advantage of the indecision and liberal approach to marking on at least one occasion.
One person capable of benefitting this Sunday is the late-running and salmon-leaping Tim Cahill. He’s 8/1 to grab the first goal and even the 20/1 for him to score 2 or more goals in the game doesn’t seem utterly inconceivable.
If the Toffees do back the win, then it’s unlikely to be by a huge margin. Their last four wins over the Gunners have been by margins so skinny they’d probably be allowed in Girls Aloud. When Everton have prevailed in recent times, it’s been by the bare minimum and that makes the 4/1 for Everton to win by exactly one goal worth considering. On a similar theme but with more bravado is the option to take Everton to win by exactly two goals @ 9/1. It may go against our carefully researched point about the narrow margins of victory, but sometimes bravado can excuse even the most ill-advised of decisions. Why else would anyone cover a Run DMC/Aerosmith classic?
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