Arsenal host Everton in their final Premier League fixture of the season, with a top-four place still to play for.
The Gunners currently occupy fifth place in the table with Liverpool and Manchester City within touching distance. There is a chance that we could end up in a fourth-placed play-off with one of the two sides, but that scenario is very unlikely, with our points and goals tallies needed to pair up.
Our hopes of Champions League football rely on us bettering Liverpool’s result, or by winning whilst Manchester City lose, with the difference totalling five or more, otherwise we be playing Europa League football for the first time since it’s creation.
All we can really do today is concentrate on our own result, and what will be, will be. Our side would be full of confidence as they seek the three points today, having won six of our seven matches since switching no our newly-favoured 3-4-2-1 system, and our rivals are lacking form. Everton have failed to win any of their last three matches, losing the last two, and have even failed to score a single goal from those matches.
Form should go out of the window with so much at stake for our side today however, but confidence will be high, and that should prove enough to win the match, especially with our rivals stuck in seventh in the division regardless of the result.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Santi Cazorla are the only confirmed absences for today’s match, while Laurent Koscielny is a doubt. The defender is expected to miss out, with hopes that not risking him may mean he could feature in next weekend’s FA Cup final.
Predicted XI:
Cech
Holding Mustafi Monreal
Bellerin Xhaka Ramsey Gibbs
Ozil Alexis
Giroud
This team should have more than enough confidence and creativeness to comfortably overcome an out-of-form Everton side, and our new system has already brought a wealth of goals in recent weeks. I expect a high-scoring game, with Alexis and Giroud both getting on the score-sheet today.
I’m going with a 4-1 win, despite the pressure and importance, although I wouldn’t be surprised for us to deny our rivals a goal today.
What are your predictions?
Pat J