{"id":2838,"date":"2021-04-22T16:55:05","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T15:55:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2838"},"modified":"2021-04-24T09:05:35","modified_gmt":"2021-04-24T08:05:35","slug":"and-now-for-something-completely-different-arsenal-vs-everton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=2838","title":{"rendered":"And Now For Something Completely Different ….. Arsenal vs Everton"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Please forgive me for starting this Everton preview with some breaking news concerning Tottenham who, in addition to their new paint sponsor and supplier, have announced a new boot deal which was planned for this year but due to the pandemic, has been carried forward to next season. Apparently a special pair will be presented early to their latest departing manager …..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just before their pre season friendly against Real Madrid, Ronaldo went into the Madrid changing room to find all his teammates looking a bit glum. \u201cWhat’s up?” he asked. \u201cWell, we’re having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it’s important for the fans but it’s only Everton. They’re rubbish and we can’t be bothered.\u201d Ronaldo looked at them and said \u201cWell, I reckon I can beat these by myself, you lads go down the pub.”
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So Ronaldo went out to play Everton by himself and the rest of the Madrid team set off for a few jars. After a few pints they wondered how the game was going and asked the landlord to put the teletext on. A big cheer went up as the screen read \u201cMadrid 1 – Everton 0 (Ronaldo 10minutes)”. He was beating Everton all by himself! A few more pints later the game was almost forgotten until someone said \u201cIt must be full time now, let’s see how he got on”. They put the teletext back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cFT: R Madrid 1 (Ronaldo 10) – Everton 1 (Cahill 89)”<\/p>\n\n\n\n


They couldn\u2019t believe it – he had single handedly got a draw against Everton !! They rushed back to the Stadium to congratulate him, but found him in the dressing room, still in his kit, with his head in his hands. He refused to look at them. “I’ve let you down! I’ve let you down!” \u201cDon’t be daft, you got a draw against Everton all by yourself – and they only scored at the very, very end!” \u201cNo, no, I have! I’ve let you down… I got sent off after 12 minutes!\u201d
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The History Bit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do actually sense something of an affinity with Everton, which is really borne of the fact that they shared with us the architect of their main stand, Archibald Leitch. As a very young Arsenal fan it sometimes took a second glance just to check I was looking at a picture taken at Highbury and not Goodson Park. At that age they seemed a bit like us, and in some values I think they have remained so. Many other clubs\u2019 stands were also the work of the Glaswegian architect, including Glasgow Rangers, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sunderland, Sheffield United, Aston Villa and, ahem, Tottenham. There were many others besides but, for some strange reason, Everton was always the one that registered with me.
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We\u2019ve also shared a few players with Everton over the years. Your memory may be better than mine, but I had forgotten one or two of these – Alan Ball, Francis Jeffers, Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi, Kevin Campbell, Shkodran Mustafi, Martin Keown, Phillipe Senderos, Richard Wright, Anders Limpar and, of course, Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Farhad Moshiri, the ex Red and White Holdings partner of Alisher Usmanov, is now the majority owner of Everton FC, but Red and White Holdings were, of course, the almost 30% shareholders of Arsenal FC, but were denied a seat, and consequently any say, on the board by majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, until they turned their attentions towards the north west around three years ago. A lot of criticism was directed at Usmanov as he vied to gain control of Arsenal, with Kroenke seen by most as the more desirable owner. After the events of this week, it\u2019s hard to imagine how the former of the two could possibly have proven worse.
Since 2017, Usmanov\u2019s USM Holdings have sponsored the Toffees’ training ground and an extension to the deal in the summer of 2019 saw them become Everton\u2019s Official Matchday Presenting Partner, with the MegaFon logo appearing around Goodison Park and on the sleeve of the players’ training kits. What? You\u2019ve never seen an Everton training kit sleeve? Oh well!
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The club’s roots loosely lie with a Methodist New Connexion congregation who had a chapel on the corner of Breckfield Road North and St. Domingo Vale in Everton, Liverpool. Initially formed as St. Domingo FC, named after the chapel, the football team was renamed Everton in 1879 after the district of Everton.The club\u2019s nickname, the Toffees, or sometimes the Toffeemen, comes from one of two toffee shops that were located in Everton village at the time the club was founded. Rather than the present day blue and white, the club\u2019s original strip was black and white, a reflection of the locally produced Everton mints.
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Everton now follow Arsenal with the second longest pedigree in the top flight, having last been relegated in the 1950-51 season . They were promoted back in 1954, and have remained in the top flight ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The Teams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arsenal\u2019s current injury list includes Aubameyang, continuing to recover from malaria; Lacazette, left hamstring strain; Luiz, right knee; Tierney, left knee, and Odegaard, right ankle. Of those, only Odegaard will even be assessed ahead of the game, but he is currently only in light training. It seems unlikely he would be risked ahead of the Europa League semi-final – assuming we have not been booted out of the competition by UEFA, following our owner\u2019s regrettable involvement with the proposed and swiftly disintegrated European Super League.
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I thought Matt Ryan looked assured in goal last time out but would assume Bernd Leno will return in goal. I will take a stab at the rest of the team but with rotation the name of the current game, it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess.
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Leno <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chambers, Holding, Mar\u00ed, Xhaka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partey, Ceballos<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith-Rowe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka, Martinelli, P\u00e9p\u00e9<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Everton currently have injuries to Bernard, Gomes, Calvert -Lewin, Yerri Mina, Delph, Gbamin and Doucoure, although all but the last two could potentially return for this game.
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Whatever the teams, Everton\u2019s chances of winning this one were coincidentally summed up by a court case that apparently happened in Liverpool just this week, where a seven-year-old boy was at the centre of a court ruling over who should have custody of him. 
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The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the law which requires that family unity be maintained to the greatest degree possible. The boy surprised the court when he claimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents, and he flatly refused to live with her. When the judge then suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.
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After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him. After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to Everton Football Club, whom the boy firmly believes are incapable of beating anyone.
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The Holic Pound<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the above there are still odds available for this one. Paddy Power are offering a miserly 19\/20 on a home win, and what seems a fairly standard 12\/5 on the draw, and 14\/5 on an away win.If you prefer something a bit more enticing on an Arsenal victory, betfair have 6\/1, 8\/1 and 15\/2 respectively on wins of 1-0, 2-0 and 2-1.
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The Referee doing his best to keep up with proceedings will be cuddly Jonathan Moss, and the man drawing the lines on the VAR machine will be David Coote. TV coverage is on Sky Sports. Kick off is on Friday 23rd April at 20.00, UK time.
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Enjoy the game, Holics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surely it’s in your diary by now? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrate the <\/strong>50th anniversary of the 1970-71 Double with Goonerholics Forever from 3 May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Charlie, the King of Highbury with that iconic celebration. 24+1 appearances, 10 goals in 1970-71<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Please forgive me for starting this Everton preview with some breaking news concerning Tottenham who, in addition to their new paint sponsor and supplier, have announced a new boot deal which was planned for this year but due to the pandemic, has been carried forward to next season. Apparently a special pair will be presented […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2838"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2846,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2838\/revisions\/2846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}