Szczesny eyes crucial clash against Everton

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has labelled the midweek clash with Everton a ‘six-point’ game as both sides aim to re-find their mojo.

The Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Aston Villa last weekend and now sit in sixth on the Premier League table having taken just 20 points from 13 games played this term.

Gunners fans appear to be rapidly turning against long-term manager Arsene Wenger, who was subjected to nasty chants from fans as his side were held, the result seeing Arsenal now 10 points behind Premiership leader Manchester City and one point behind fifth-placed Everton.

Szczesny, though, believes a victory against the Toffees at Goodison Park will still put Arsenal in a good position to climb further up the table as the busy Christmas list of fixtures gets closer.

“It will be a six-pointer,” declared Szczesny on the Arsenal website.

“It will be a very good game for us to win. We managed to get three points last year and it was a really tough match.

“We are outside the top four so our first target is to reach that top four. But our ambitions are much higher than that.

“I think the last two matches against Tottenham and Montpellier, offensively we have played really well,” he added.

“We have had a few disappointing performances before that, so it’s important we get back to that level and I think we are in a good position to do so.”

Everton will be boosted by Marouane Fellaini’s return from suspension as the Toffees look to rediscover some of their early-season scoring power.

But it seems that manager David Moyes is more concerned with the other end of the park, after suggesting goalkeeper Tim Howard was at fault for Sebastien Bassong’s last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Norwich on Saturday.

Moyes feels that Howard, who has made 196 consecutive starts, does not have enough competition in the squad at present and as a result, the manager is looking to bring in another goalkeeper during the January transfer period, with former Celtic stopper Artur Boruc one of the names linked with the club.

“You need competition for every position,” said Moyes in the Daily Mail.

“And everybody has got to make sure they’re at the top of their game.

“We have to make sure we’re not continually making mistakes that lead to goals.”