Arsenal head into the game against Everton knowing they need both a win and to score as many as possible against a likely unmotivated Everton side.
However, mid-table sides still bring something to the table – and seventh in the Premier league is no mean feat. A reasonably solid defence supports the prolific Romelu Lukaku up front, as manager Ronald Koeman tends to play a reasonably combative, high tempo style.
To counter-act a tough tackling midfield of Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin, Arsenal will need to start the trio of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. All have been in decent form recently, and their ability to find space can prevent the offence being bogged down by a defensive double pivot.
Outside of the midfield, Everton tend to play a relatively narrow attack – Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas are naturally central attacking midfielders positioned out wide, while Mason Holgate and Leighton Baines don’t get forward too often. Three central defenders will perfectly counter-act this.
That is if Lukaku can be kept quiet. Being in the three in the Golden Boot race, he may choose to test the young Rob Holding by drifting slightly wider – though defensive help from the other two will limit his damage.
Offensively, Arsenal have looked excellent the past couple of games. With 36 attempts against Sunderland reflected a high chance creation rate, and in all, how the new 3-4-2-1 system enables Mesut Ozil to flourish as a floating player. Though Olivier Giroud has been in good form, it may be worth replacing him with Danny Welbeck to test the ageing pairing of Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams. I’d also encourage Kieran Gibbs to be a little more adventurous, as when done right, his overlaps are devastating.
In all, it’s a team with a lot to play for against one with very little. Whether motivation can translate into performance, is yet to be seen.
