Premier League preview: Arsenal v Everton

Arsenal host Everton at Emirates Stadium on Saturday with both sides looking to get back to winning form.

Arsene Wenger’s team are fifth in the English Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Manchester City as the Londoners continue to pay the price for their indifferent start to the season.

Since Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Spurs on October 2, though, Wenger’s men have taken 19 points from a possible 21 in the league, with their only blemish a 1-1 draw at home to Fulham.

But in their most recent outing the Gunners suffered a 3-1 Champions League loss in Greece to Olympiakos.

It should be noted, however, that Arsenal had already qualified for the knockout stages in top spot in the group, meaning motivation could have been in short supply.

Their early qualification proved beneficial for Wenger, who opted to leave captain Robin van Persie, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Song at home.

David Moyes’ Everton side are 10th in the league, and they suffered their seventh loss of the campaign on Sunday when a Robert Huth goal lifted Stoke to a 1-0 win at Goodison – the first time Stoke had won there since 1981.

Moyes’ cause on Saturday will not be helped by injuries to front men Victor Anichebe (groin) and Louis Saha (thigh) while midfielder Royston Drenthe is still bothered by a foot problem.

Wenger’s team also has some fitness concerns, with Bacary Sagna and Jack Wilshere long-term casualties with a broken leg and ankle injury respectively.

Full-backs Carl Jenkinson (back stress fracture) and Kieran Gibbs (hernia) are out, and Wenger’s reserves in defence look like being further stretched with the news Brazilian left back Andre Santos suffered an ankle injury in the defeat to Olympiakos.

“Santos suffered a bad ankle injury,” Wenger said. “It looks like he will be out for a while. We have (Kieran) Gibbs coming back in two to three weeks.”

“Hopefully Santos will not be too long but, for Saturday against Everton, he looks to be struggling.”