Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher agree Arsenal are prone to return to form against an under-strength Everton in Saturday night’s Premier League clash.
The Gunners have set the pace to this point this season but are prone to find themselves back in second place come kick-off on the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Manchester City, who seem like back to their best and scenting blood, host struggling West Ham several hours before Mikel Arteta’s man are back in motion and sure trying to retain top spot.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been in a position to chip away at Arsenal’s lead as a consequence of the north London club’s patchy recent away form.
4 points were dropped at Sunderland and Chelsea while they were subjected to only their second defeat of the season ealier this month following Emi Buendia’s dramatic last minute winner for high-flying Aston Villa.
Arsenal did return to winning ways last weekend but in unconvincing fashion, requiring an injury-time own goal to beat struggling Wolves.
Everton have enjoyed a solid begin to the campaign but Carragher believes Arsenal might be visiting Merseyside at the perfect time given David Moyes might be without the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Idrissa Gueye, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and potentially Jack Grealish.
It’s crunch time for Arsenal
Arsenal maintained their two point lead at the highest over the weekend, but only by the skin of their teeth. With Manchester City now looking much more like their old selves, suddenly the Premier League title race is beginning to take a really familiar shape.
The Gunners next six games could tell us so much about whether or not they’re able to go the space this time given they dropped 13 points from the corresponding fixtures last season
- Everton (a) 1-1
- Brighton (h) 1-1
- Aston Villa (h) 2-2
- Bournemouth (a) 2-0
- Liverpool (h) 2-2
- Nottingham Forest (a) 0-0
‘Everton have gotten a couple of players out,’ the previous Liverpool defender told The Overlap. ‘I believe that’s a good game for Arsenal Ndiaye is out, he’s going to AFCON. Grealish it out, Dewsbury-Hall is out.’
Arsenal aren’t without injury concerns of their very own with defensive linchpin Gabriel still prone to be missing but Wright is confident of one other three points, whatever the Brazil international’s fitness.
He said: ‘I’m completely happy, keep calm and get past Christmas. The one this is that if Gabriel remains to be out. I still think we’ll beat them by the odd goal.’
Within the absence of so many key players, meanwhile, Everton’s James Garner insists he’s able to assume more responsibility in a leadership role.
He said: ‘I believe [playing as a senior midfielder] comes quite naturally, to be fair.
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‘I’m quite a quiet leader. I’ve been captain just about each place I’ve been at, coming through the youth teams, so it comes quite naturally to me.
‘Hopefully, I can bring the lads along and whoever I find yourself twiddling with in midfield, I’m sure I may help them and so they may help me.
‘We just need to keep picking up three points and carry on climbing the table.’
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