Prediction & odds for the game: Arsenal (1/1) v Everton (27/10)
When: Sunday, 23rd February 2020 @ 4.30pm K.O
Where: Emirates Stadium
Arsenal and Everton will continue to try and build a brighter future with new managers when they meet at the Emirates this weekend.
Arsenal
There’s a whole lot more optimism in the air in North London since Mikel Arteta took charge and while it’s been a relatively slow start for the Spaniard, things finally seem to be falling into place. They’re firing on all cylinders up top, they aren’t conceding all that much at the back, and there’s a spirit and identity to this team that previously didn’t exist. If they can bring in a few more faces in the summer they could be a real force to be reckoned with next season.
Arsenal have been pretty hard to beat as of late which hasn’t been the case in quite some time. While they were disappointed to only pick up a point against Burnley and Sheffield United, they fought hard to claim a draw against Chelsea. They also beat Bournemouth 2-1 in the FA Cup before two solid wins against Newcastle United and Olympiakos – with two clean sheets.
Everton
The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti has undoubtedly given Everton more of a purpose than they once had from top to bottom. With a real structure through the core of their team to go alongside plans for a new stadium and a world class manager, suddenly, the fears of a relegation battle have slipped away – and in their place comes the hope of a surge for the Europa League places. Now, it’s all about leveling out and carrying this momentum forward into the final 12 games of the campaign.
Everton’s loss to rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, and since then, they haven’t lost. They beat Brighton 1-0 in the Premier League before questionable draws against West Ham and Newcastle, but in their last two outings they’ve beaten Watford and Crystal Palace, scoring six goals in two games in the process.
Conclusion
We think Everton are going to cause Arsenal quite a few problems from the word go at the Emirates by coming straight at them, winning aerial duels and creating more scoring chances. However, this Gunners side seems to have a bit more grit than they used with Mikel Arteta pushing them to dig deep more so than they used to. We think this is going to be an exciting spectacle between two clubs on the rise, with Arsenal being the ones who edge out a narrow win.
In our mind the hosts are going to come from behind, and with that being said, we’re going to back the over 2.5 goals market.
Verdict: Back the home win at odds of 1/1 and the over 2.5 goals scored at odds of 8/11. (All odds are taken from bet365).
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