Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 29/50
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta returns to familiar territory on Saturday night as his Arsenal side visit the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the Premier League.
The Gunners scraped past Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, while David Moyes’s Everton fell short against Club World Cup winners Chelsea.
Everton
Festive optimism is alive on the blue half of Merseyside, as results could see Everton climb into the top five this weekend—albeit by the slimmest of margins.
Currently ninth, the Toffees trail Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Manchester United, and Liverpool by just two points thanks to a solid run of four wins and two defeats in their last six matches. One of those losses came last weekend, however, as Chelsea claimed a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Everton’s new home has lost its early-season aura; after going unbeaten in their first five home games of 2025-26, Moyes’s men have now lost two of their last four. Of their six league defeats this term, five have come against Champions League contenders—highlighting the gulf between Everton and the elite.
Still, history offers some encouragement: Everton held Arsenal to two draws last season and have lost only one of their last seven home league meetings with the Gunners, though the Goodison Park advantage no longer applies.
Team News
David Moyes faces a mounting injury crisis ahead of this clash. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, a key figure in midfield, was forced off after just 16 minutes against Chelsea with a hamstring injury and will definitely miss out.
Jack Grealish is also a doubt after feeling tightness in the same game, adding to Moyes’s concerns. Further depletion comes from the Africa Cup of Nations, with Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye away on international duty.
Defensive options are limited too, as Jarrad Branthwaite, Seamus Coleman, and Merlin Rohl remain sidelined with thigh, hamstring, and groin problems respectively.
Arsenal
Facing a Wolves side destined for relegation should have been routine for Arsenal, but the league leaders endured their worst display of the season at the Emirates. Rob Edwards’s men deserved a point after Tolu Arokodare’s equalizer, only for Yerson Mosquera to score a heartbreaking own goal deep into stoppage time, gifting Arsenal a 2-1 win.
There was no jubilation—just relief—as Arteta’s team preserved their two-point cushion over Manchester City at the summit. However, fatigue may be creeping in: Arsenal have managed just one clean sheet in their last six league games and have conceded first in each of their last three away fixtures.
Victory will ensure they top the table on Christmas Day, but history offers a warning—Arsenal have failed to win the title in all four seasons where they led on December 25.
Team News
Mikel Arteta’s defensive headache worsened last weekend when Ben White limped off with a hamstring injury during the first half against Wolves, ruling him out for at least a month. He joins Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kai Havertz, and Max Dowman on the injury list, leaving Arsenal short of options at the back.
However, there is some relief as Riccardo Calafiori returns from suspension, allowing Arteta to reshuffle his defense with Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, and Piero Hincapie expected to adjust their positions.
Further forward, Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard are likely to return to the starting lineup to inject creativity and attacking impetus.
Conclusion
If Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish, and Ndiaye are all unavailable, Everton’s hopes of a win—or even a goal—against a refreshed Arsenal side look bleak.
With a full week to prepare and a point to prove after last weekend’s scare, Arteta’s men should have little trouble dispatching their depleted hosts.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 29/50
Bookmaker: ZetBet
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