match preview: Everton v Arsenal
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Everton v Arsenal
Barclays Premiership
Goodison Park
Sun, Mar 18, 2007, 4pm (uk time)
Everton bid to cement their place in the top six with victory against an Arsenal side still smarting from a disastrous ten-day spell that saw them crash out of three competitions.
The Gunners have only the incentive of clinching a top-four position for the 11th successive season after losing the Carling Cup final to Chelsea, an FA Cup fifth round replay at Blackburn Rovers and a tight two-legged Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven.
Arsene Wenger rested defenders Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy and brought in Justin Hoyte and Johan Djourou for the midweek clash at Aston Villa and also drafted in Abou Diaby for Alex Hleb who has a knee injury.
Tomas Rosicky is in contention for a starting spot after winning a place on the bench at Villa following his recovery from a groin problem, but Thierry Henry (stomach/groin) is out for the season and Robin van Persie (foot) is still some way from fitness.
Toure and Clichy have served their suspensions and are available for selection again, but Emmanuel Eboue and Emmanuel Adebayor still have one game of their bans to serve.
Everton boss David Moyes has done well to keep his side in contention for a UEFA Cup spot despite being without key players for lengthy spells because of injury this season.
Tim Cahill is unlikely to play again this term after breaking a metatarsal, while James McFadden is sidelined until next month with a similar injury.
Patrick Boyle (back), Nuno Valente (calf) and Andy van der Meyde (groin) are all expected to miss this weekend's game.
Moyes' side have only lost one of their last seven Premiership games since the New Year's Day defeat at Manchester City though and are particularly strong at Goodison Park where they have only lost on three occasions so far this term.
At the Emirates Stadium earlier this season, van Persie's second-half equaliser helped the Gunners hit back to draw 1-1, while on Merseyside last term, Moyes' side won 1-0 thanks to James Beattie's first-half goal.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg -
Kolo Toure is back from suspension for Arsenal’s trip to Everton on Sunday — but he will not be joined by Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy.
All three players completed their bans with the 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Wednesday however Eboue (ankle) and Clichy (hamstring) are still struggling with injuries suffered before their spell on the sidelines. Emmanuel Adebayor has one more game to serve but, on the upside, Alex Hleb is likely to be back after his knee problem and Tomas Rosicky is pushing for a start.
“Clichy and Eboue are out,” said Wenger in an exclusive interview with Arsenal TV Online on Thursday. “They are back from suspension but they have injuries. Eboue is still out with the ankle injury he got at Blackburn from Pedersen and Clichy had a hamstring problem against Eindhoven. He has not recovered yet so Kolo is the only suspended player returning.
“Apart from that maybe Hleb will come back and Tomas Rosicky will be fit enough to be in contention to start.”
Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full interview on Friday morning. In it Wenger discusses: the proposals to end draws and decide games with penalties, changing the points system, the win at Villa, travelling to Everton, searching for “super, super class” players and Robin van Persie’s fitness. -
Both sides have nothing else to play for but European qualification for next season after crashing out of all cup competitions.
Arsenal go into the game boosted by Wednesday's 1-0 win at Aston Villa, but Arsene Wenger still has his options limited by injuries and suspension.
Strike duo Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie are still sidelined with long-term problems.
Emmanuel Adebayor is missing through suspension and Julio Baptista is a major doubt with a back injury he picked up in midweek.
Theo Walcott could be in the squad as he delays undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury.
Kolo Toure is set to return to the Arsenal defence after suspension, but Emmanuel Eboue and Gael Clichy remain doubtful.
Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky could return to the starting XI after recovering from injury.
Everton must do without Tim Cahill as he has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a broken metatarsal.
James McFadden is still missing as he recovers from a broken metatarsal of his own.
James Beattie is set to partner Andy Johnson in attack in the absence of Cahill and McFadden.
Nuno Valente and Andy van der Meyde are both doubtful as they struggle with knocks.
my prediction 1-3
Honours even at Goodison Park
Player to watch: Andy Johnson -
LONG LIVE EVERTON
ALL HAIL ANDY JOHNSON -
Thank god Cahill is injured. i'll go for another 1-0 win for gunners again. a fluke goal again
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Arsenal lost 1-0 again
i think they seriously sucks with their team of young players
This season is a season to forget -
Oh man. Pls let this season end asap. bullshit frm arsenal. bullshit. im sick of late late goals.
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All teams are capable n guilty of late late goals mah.. wat to do..Originally posted by felirox:Oh man. Pls let this season end asap. bullshit frm arsenal. bullshit. im sick of late late goals. -
Now,pool will still have the chance to catch up.oh,great.Originally posted by Gackt247:All teams are capable n guilty of late late goals mah.. wat to do.. -
Originally posted by felirox:Now,pool will still have the chance to catch up.oh,great.
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ya they lost again... can jz blame they dun hv enuff quality in scoring from bench... baptista reali not getting into the game... maybe wenger should not keep him as he could end up being a liability... Aliadiere cannot change the game type.... they reali need to change the frontline cos even if theres adebayor they will still struggle... cannot always depend on henry n persie...
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Originally posted by felirox:Now,pool will still have the chance to catch up.oh,great.
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how many star strikers can a team have.. not every team has deep pockets ya know.. juz have to make do with wat u have.. whether there's injury or not..Originally posted by BrUtUs:ya they lost again... can jz blame they dun hv enuff quality in scoring from bench... baptista reali not getting into the game... maybe wenger should not keep him as he could end up being a liability... Aliadiere cannot change the game type.... they reali need to change the frontline cos even if theres adebayor they will still struggle... cannot always depend on henry n persie... -
superb strike frm Andy Johnson leaves gunners battered n weak - anomynous commentator
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it could have been 3-0 if not the shot by osman and carlsley hit the post. ohhhh,crap.
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as top team cannot jz depend on the starting 2... should've 3 top striker... ya even tho teams dun hv deep pockets but at least should spend correctly...... cannot always hide behind saying the team fail becos of injuries too...Originally posted by Gackt247:how many star strikers can a team have.. not every team has deep pockets ya know.. juz have to make do with wat u have.. whether there's injury or not.. -
especially after screwing up the transfer market n hoarding onto players.Originally posted by BrUtUs:as top team cannot jz depend on the starting 2... should've 3 top striker... ya even tho teams dun hv deep pockets but at least should spend correctly...... cannot always hide behind saying the team fail becos of injuries too... -
saw last match and Aliadiere miss alot of chance
today also
nw its the time to sell him
and adebayor -
adebayor/ he's ok wad...give baptista back to RM and sell tt french guy.Originally posted by pierre^^:saw last match and Aliadiere miss alot of chance
today also
nw its the time to sell him
and adebayor -
x2... agree...Originally posted by felirox:adebayor/ he's ok wad...give baptista back to RM and sell tt french guy. -
Johnson shoots down Gunners
A goal from Andy Johnson in injury time gave Everton an impressive 1-0 win over Arsenal, in an otherwise mediocre game, that marked David Moyes' fifth anniversary at Goodison Park in a manner that will delight the Scot.
Everton will feel they were the better of the two sides and allied to Johnson's last gasp winner, a pair of efforts that crashed back off Arsenal's woodwork, one in each half, bare testimony to such a suggestion.
Arsenal look as though they are still suffering a hangover from crashing out of three cup competitions in 11 days and while their disappointment is understandable, Arsene Wenger is unlikely to tolerate such a lethargic performance.
When Johnson struck it was in keeping with much of what had gone before it, when after Gilberto had only partially cleared the striker's flick from a corner, the England hopeful fired past Jens Lehmann from around seven yards with a crisp left foot strike.
A stop-start affair of a first half rarely rose above a level of mediocrity as Arsenal in particular struggled to produce the type of easy on the eye football to which they are famed.
It was only towards the close of the first 45 minutes that Wenger's style council began to stamp a semblance of class on proceedings, with most of what preceded a spell of pressure seeing Everton emerge as the better of the two sides.
From the off and the home side were eager to put Arsenal on the back foot as a willing and pacey front pairing, made up of Johnson and James Vaughan, persistently looked to get in behind their visitor's back four. It was from the latter's flick that Johnson looked odds-on to open the scoring, only for a desperate paw from Lehmann to scoop the ball away with the goal gaping, after Gilberto's last gasp lunge had lobbed it over his own keeper.
A partisan home crowd cried for a penalty but just as he did moments later, when waving away Jeremie Aliadiere's similar appeals, referee Mark Clattenburg got his call spot on.
Blustery conditions on Merseyside were not helping the football but Lee Carsley elevated proceedings somewhat with a searing half volley from 25 yards that gave Lehmann not a prayer, only for the ball to crash back off the post. The German then needed to grasp hold of a looping Leon Osman header from an Everton set-piece, before Arsenal swept forward to conjure a presentable opening of their own.
The half's best move concluded with Julio Baptista forging an opening for the otherwise peripheral Cesc Fabregas but the Spaniard could only find Tim Howard's feet with his drive from just inside the box.
After the interval and Arsenal largely failed to build on the momentum they had gathered at the end of the first half, with Everton again the likelier of the two sides to open the scoring, as the busy Manuel Fernandes was wasteful in lashing at goal, when the tightest of angles suggested a pass was the sensible option.
Being profligate in front of goal was not, though, reserved solely for Everton as just as he repeatedly did against Aston Villa in midweek, Aliadiere proved less than clinical when he swung a boot and hammered high over the top, from no more than seven yards, after being found by Tomas Rosicky's pull-back.
Midway through the second half Arsenal's seemingly charmed goal survived another scare when Osman's instinctive strike, after a scamble, hit the post and was cleared to safety.
Wenger had seen enough and sent for Theo Walcott from the bench and while he failed to make much of an impact, fellow teenager Fabregas twice caused Howard to gather sharply with daisycutters from the edge of the box.
It was, though, Everton that secured a precious three point haul in their pursuit of Europe, when after Osman had missed a great opportunity to etch his name on the scoresheet, in directing a free header wide, Johnson showed him just how to do it with a late, late winner.