{"id":7495,"date":"2023-02-28T09:02:32","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T09:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=7495"},"modified":"2023-03-01T23:18:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T23:18:55","slug":"chew-the-toffees-over-again-spit-them-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=7495","title":{"rendered":"Chew the Toffees Over Again &#038; Spit Them Out"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"getty embed image\" style=\"background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:594px;\"><div style=\"padding:0;margin:0;text-align:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/52801274\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;\" rel=\"noopener\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div><div style=\"overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:63.468014% 0 0 0;width:100%;\"><iframe src=\"\/\/embed.gettyimages.com\/embed\/52801274?et=wbxKqGcbShx6pwvApzkwzg&amp;tld=com&amp;sig=VN86kotPJaNqV4n0mBU1ZSj46vuq-aCW6vfa4lFag_M=&amp;caption=true&amp;ver=1\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;\" width=\"594\" height=\"377\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dennis Bergkamp scores Arsenal&#8217;s sixth goal against Everton during the Premiership match at Highbury on 11 May 2005. Arsenal won 7-0.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems just yesterday that we played the blue half of Merseyside in a maelstrom of Dyche-inspired energy and Scouse hysteria when we didn\u2019t display the poise necessary to take a point, let alone all three. That set-back was the beginning of a rocky spell for this young Arsenal team who had not only surprised us by garnering a record points harvest to top the league at Christmas but also, until that wobble, by maintaining their momentum despite the loss of Gabriel Jes\u00fas, their early season talisman. That Everton game was the first of three consecutive league fixtures from which we took a solitary point from nine and this provoked doubts among the faithful and predictable predictions of decline and \u2018wheels falling off\u2019 from the usual critics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, we have had an \u2018Indian Sign\u2019 over both Everton and Dyche over the years. On a head to head since our first meeting in April 1905, we have beaten Everton 109 times, drawn 46 and lost 65. Since the Premier League\u2019s inception (everyone knows that socca only began in 1992), we have played Everton 30 times at our place and won 23, drawn 5 and lost 2 scoring an aggregate of 68 goals and conceding 22. Turning to their dysphonic coach, Dyche has taken on the Arsenal 16 times and has a record of 2 wins, 3 draws and 11 defeats with an aggregate of 7 goals scored and 27 conceded. Of course, only one of those games on Dyche\u2019s record against the Arsenal involved Everton: that 1-0 aberration just a couple of weeks ago. Normal relations with both must be resumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After 24 games, Everton come into this fixture sitting in the relegation places at 18<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;with 21 points from 5 wins and 6 draws, having scored the league\u2019s lowest goal tally at 17. Their tally of 32 goals conceded is more \u2018mid-table\u2019 and 12<sup>th<\/sup>best in the league. Clearly Everton\u2019s primary problem is scoring goals. In their Premier League home games this season they have 4 wins, 2 draws and 6 defeats scoring 11 and conceding 16 and their away form is worse with a solitary win, 5 draws and 6 defeats, with 6 goals scored and 16 conceded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Dyche took charge Everton\u2019s numbers have improved a tad. Twenty games pre-Dyche yielded 3 wins and 6 draws with 15 goals scored and 30 conceded while 4 games under Dyche yielded 2 wins and 2 losses with 2 goals scored and 4 conceded. Dyche has improved Everton\u2019s defensive organisation and midfield competitiveness as we recently discovered to our cost but without yet finding the key to scoring goals. I hope that key continues to elude him. Everton\u2019s recent game against Villa demonstrated both their defensive obstinacy and their impotence in attack \u2013 a soft second half penalty broke the deadlock in that game and the final 2-0 score considerably flatters Villa. That was a much tighter game than that scoreline suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can expect an identical Everton to the one that we encountered at Goodison and a close doppelganger for the Burnley team we grew to despise. Everton are desperate for points, will fight for every ball, will cross the line physically at every opportunity and will hope for a decisive set piece or two to steal as many points from the game as the referee will allow them. Certainly, against Villa, set pieces were again their only real threat and in the absence of Calvert-Lewin with a hamstring injury sustained against us (which I expect to continue), the execrable Maupay (1 goal in his last 28 games) led their line in the guise of an isolated leper. I hope that Ramsdale has on body armour and has had a prophylactic shot or two of antibiotics. The rest of the Everton team is as predictable as their tactics which will focus entirely on stopping us playing and hoping for a lucky break from a set piece. They will line up in a 4-5-1 with a solid back four of Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski and Mykolenko who will make high balls into the box a futile venture. Doucour\u00e9, Gueye and Onana, three big units, will provide a central obstacle, with menace, to attempts by \u00d8degaard, Xhaka, Trossard\/Nketiah and Partey\/Jorginho to strut their stuff, weave patterns and control the game. Iwobi and McNeil will provide width in midfield and support occasional attacks but will also frequently double-up with their full-back against our wingmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to the team\u2019s sterling work at Villa and Leicester and the unexpected contribution of Nottingham Forest, the Arsenal sit back on top of the pile, 2 points ahead of&nbsp;the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC (\u00a9 Lonestar Gooner) with a game (this game) in hand.&nbsp;Our selection is now less predictable than it has been of late which is helpful as the recent predictability of our forward line in particular has made it easier for the likes of Dyche to set up his team to blunt our attack. I was impressed with our performance at Leicester apart from our minimal chance creation but particularly by Trossard\u2019s link play as a false nine (as well as by his beautifully curved but disallowed goal) and also by Jorginho\u2019s control of midfield, his eye for a pass and his progressive passing (that long pass out of our half to Saka running behind the Leicester defence was exquisite and deserved a much better outcome). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite Jorginho\u2019s MotM performance I expect Partey, if there is no reaction to his brief cameo against Leicester, to regain his starting position in an attempt to match Everton\u2019s midfield muscle. It will be interesting to see who Arteta chooses to start \u2013 could he give Jorginho the Xhala role to shake things up as the Swiss has looked leggy of late? On the other hand, Jorginho could certainly be a very effective addition late in the game if we are trying to see it out. I personally think Trossard has earned his opportunity to reprise his \u2018false nine\u2019 role as his ball control, trickery and swift interplay, particularly with Martinelli, should give Everton\u2019s lumbering hulks problems. Towards the end of the Leicester game, I spotted Benjamin White, that very naughty boy, repeatedly rubbing a hamstring so I suspect Tomiyasu may start this game. Hence, barring unexpected problems arising from the Leicester game (thinking especially of the stamp on Martinelli\u2019s knee) I expect to see a starting XI of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Ramsdale<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Tomiyasu Saliba Gabriel Zinchenko<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\u00d8degaard Partey Xhaka<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Saka Trossard Martinelli<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the basis of our home record against Everton in the Premier League, I\u2019m predicting a 3-1 victory for the Arsenal though I would love another clean sheet and a reprise of the 7-0 from May 2005 would send me into orbit! I expect our players to be determined to make amends for that result at Goodison and Mikel Arteta and Martin \u00d8degaard said as much this week. I also expect Trossard to be determined to score his second PL goal for the Arsenal to make up for the fine one that was chalked off at the weekend. I don\u2019t know what the odds are on either a 3-1 win or a Trossard goal because this Holic Pound is still going to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This fixture was postponed as a result of HM The Queen\u2019s sudden demise, RIP. Most teams had a single fixture postponed but Arsenal had two matches postponed: the recent home game against&nbsp;the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC&nbsp;and this one.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thus, this fixture is that longstanding \u2018game in hand\u2019 that we\u2019ve had over&nbsp;the-expensively-assembled-\u20acitzens-of-(allegedly)-Off-Balance-Sheet-FC&nbsp;and most other teams chasing us. We simply have to win it!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A contributing factor to our defeat at Goodison was the noisy, hostile home crowd. We have to reciprocate at the top of our voices and carry the Arsenal team on a wave of Gooner noise to deliver their maximum performance and another crucial victory. I\u2019ll be there and will be hoarse by half time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GO WIN, ARSENAL!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoy the game, Holics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>COYG<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embed from Getty Images Dennis Bergkamp scores Arsenal&#8217;s sixth goal against Everton during the Premiership match at Highbury on 11 May 2005. Arsenal won 7-0. It seems just yesterday that we played the blue half of Merseyside in a maelstrom of Dyche-inspired energy and Scouse hysteria when we didn\u2019t display the poise necessary to take [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7495"}],"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\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7495"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7510,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7495\/revisions\/7510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}