Monaco vs Arsenal: May the real Giroud stand up please!

9th win out of 11, cause we ain't just bullies on the turf but specialists in each halves. We are Arsenal, third on the log and just a point below second placed City is never a minor fete considering our poor start to the season.

A 3-0 win over West Ham on Saturday not only proved our might in a run of tough fixtures (following wins against QPR and United) but it also marked Giroud's importance in the team after another another fine 90-minute display up front. The Frenchman who has been in astounding form since marking his 50-goal mark in the red and white, only failed to impress against Monaco in the Champions League, but his run in the league is without any doubt one of Arsenal's secret weapons.

After another frustrating first 40 minutes against the Hammers, Giroud whom I regard as the king of one touch football, capitalised on a brilliant team move to smash home one of his best goals at Arsenal, to hand the visitors a deserved lead, with seconds to the break.

Ozil collected Mertesacker's pass before exchanging passes with Giroud, who squared in the on rushing Ramsey before he halted the Welshman's move to hit an unstoppable left footed shot which kissed the bar before finding the roof of the net past the hapless Adrian, to extend his scoring streak against West Ham to five in his last five BPL matches.

In the second half, a solid Hammers midfield limited us to less chances with Alex Song controlling the possessions, out muscling the young Coquelin in numerous occasions. After more than half an hour, Giroud once again stepped up to assist Arsenal's decisive second goal courtesy of Ramsey's half volley. And on that note we all know what to expect whenever Ramsey ends his goal drought...

Minutes later the unexpected happened. Returning from injury, the tough tackling Mathieu Flamini got on the score sheet , tapping in Cazorla's low cross to cement Arsenal's win. Again the Frenchman played a vital role, picking out substitute Cazorla whose name rang across Emirates from the fans as early as the 60th minute, to square up Flamini to become Arsenal's 14th scorer in the league.

With all that said and dusted, can the real Olivier Giroud please stand up at walk out at Monaco today? Yes, he's been fantastic in the league and cup after his lengthy lay off hitting in 11 goals in 18 league appearances but is yet to score in Europe, which is understandable having only enjoyed the UEFA anthem twice. Tonight is the night when we need him! for us to achieve the Monaco Miracle , we need his strength, clinical leg and the right mentality to create history at  stade Louis . Remember we need to score thrice and concede none to progress.

We almost did it against Milan and also came close against Bayern in our Berlin Miracle quest, also falling short of a single goal following a flying start which saw Walcott tee up Giroud to score the opening goal in the opening stages. But can he inspire us to one of Arsenal's memorable nights in Europe? the answer lies in between the anticipated 90 minutes of action.

Last time we played the French outfit, Giroud was among the highly criticised players and he deserved it! His body language betrayed him from the start and he never gathered the courage to grab the game scruff even when we were trailing by two goals.

Someone tweeted "There is the Giroud who did thst to West Ham and the Giroud who played against Monaco.." then here comes his killer punch... "Could they meet for a coffee?" he posed. I second that, the two personas merge and help us knock out the elephant in the room, out of the Champions League?

We've never tasted Quarter Finals football in the Champions League since 2009/10 and we surely need to rekindle the moment with a memorable performance, no matter how dirty the tricks will be. Ospina needs to be alert, Mertesacker needs proper game reading and Sanchez needs to realize that dribbling is never always an option in a 1v1 situation especially against a solid and defensive minded team like Monaco. Make the quick passes and lets try to open them up!


MATCH FACTS:

-Monaco have conceded only two goals in their seven Champions League games so far this season.
– Arsenal have been eliminated at this stage in each of the previous four seasons.
– Monaco are undefeated in their last 16 matches at the Stade Louis II stadium in all competitions, conceding only four goals during this run.
-Monaco have won 75% of their Champions League games at their Stade Louis-II (18 out of 24).
-Only Real Madrid have a better ratio on home soil in the history of the competition (76%, 77 out of 101) among teams with more than two appearances in the UCL.

-Arsenal have always eliminated French clubs in knockout encounters in European competition – it’s happened five times in the past.

-Monaco have conceded two goals in seven games in the Champions League this season, the best defensive record in this season's competition.

-Arsenal are the only team, alongside Real Madrid, to have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League in every season since the new format in 2003/04.

-Monaco haven’t conceded a single goal in their three Champions League home games this season.

-Arsene Wenger has won none of his seven games against Monaco as manager (D4 L3).

My predicted starting XI: Ospina, Bellerin,Per,Koscielny,Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey,Cazorla,Ozil,Sanchez,Giroud.

My MONvAFC PREDICTIONS: Monaco 0-2 (Giroud,Koscielny) Arsenal (agg 3-3)

IG/TWITTER: @bryoshavin

Arsenal v West Ham: Redemption is nigh!

Glory Glory when you’re united! .. "Arsenal, we're on your side
Our love we can not hide, Our hearts are open wide.. Boom! I'm still buzzzzzing!

Well done boys! who could believe that? finally and I repeat finally broke our 9-year-old jinx at Old Trafford! well it's not all about the jinx but the guys who steered the ship, the brave fighters , sheer confidence, super mental strength and the manner in which we brought OT tumbling in just 61 minutes!

"Arsenal are our loyal wives" They said, "who even wanna go to the Carrington grounds to train ahead of our London concubines?" They posed. But pride comes before a fall, the wise men once said and little did they know their once so loyal student would return as a ruthless slayer and mercilessly tear the OT faithful hearts apart.

Who else? but the newly crowned Lord Welbeck? LVG once said he did not fit United's requirements and many believed the egocentric Dutch tactician who in return brought the Tigre as his replacement. But in came Le Prof, king of talent makers who saved Welbz career, believed in his talents, helped rebuild his confidence and sharpened his double edged sword which the whole Arsenal crew used in their recent victorious battle.

From the go, Arsenal showed signs of a more brave and mentally matured unit, passing with confidence,  tackling left, right and centre  never held back and as well constantly attacking when the time was due. Wenger for the second time this season put on a brave mask, his fingers neither fidgeted nor his eye brows twitched in fear even when the pressure was immense! The last time he did that? how about City, yeah the city of Manchester.

Manchester is Wenger's! yes he's reclaimed his once stomping ground and thank you Manchester for your hospitality, we'll be back to officially take our bride home come May 15th. Wenger triumphed at Etihad on a day when everyone ruled us out, but to be honest it's that mega win which has since propelled us against football giants which was evident on Monday, much to the joy of our fantastic 9,000 travelling fans who owned the Old Trafford! . "We had 9,000 fans there and that’s absolutely fantastic. You’re grateful for that and to think that they travel home happy is a very good feeling. To share that win with them is fantastic" Said Wenger in appreciation to the fans undying passion.

Let's talk about Nacho Monreal shall we? Well the Spanish full back joined Arsenal as one of the most sought after Left backs in the world, having ever present in the Spanish national team from Malaga. Critics as usual tried to crucify the defender after a series of poor showings especially vs the big dogs; remember the 6-3 drubbing vs City at Etihad?. Yeah, Personally I always defended him, cause his first touches, forward forays and game reading were always slightly above Gibbs'. I'm sure many of you would strongly disagree with me on that, but a season and half later who would you line up as your Left back at Arsenal? Nacho!

Nacho like Wenger noted has now owned the city of Manchester. After running away with Gibbs starting berth, the 29-year-old combative player helped Arsenal to a 2-0 win over City winning Arsenal's penalty which Cazorla coolly converted the opener  and further went ahead to keep a clean sheet . Fast forward Monreal started Monday's game after being rested in QPR's match and what he did is simply unforgettable.

After a fine display of a number of ankle breaking twists from the now injured Ox, Monreal was teed up on the left wing and alone with the one and only David De Gea, he never disappointed, His ball control was breathtaking and his finish brought billions of Arsenal fans world to an ecstatic moment. Yes! we had opened the scoring at the famous OT in the first half hour and who did it? Sir Nacho Monreal!

The Spain defender who had lost his Spanish berth at the World Cup due to lack of game time last season, scored his second and again purely crucial goal for the club, since March 2013  that's exactly two damn years later! All these improved performances from Nacho Monreal can be wildly attributed to the fact that Gibbs always goes hard fighting for his place whenever he's on the pitch, and also Wenger's trust in him which has seen him deployed in a more central role was instrumental in making him one of the most diverse defenders in England.

Then came Dat Guy Welbz moment. The Mancunian forward returned to burn down those who had put his career in jeopardy by sending him out on numerous loan deals and denying him the chance to lead the attack. His output on the field was ever motivated by the facts he was playing against his former academy/team mates whom they used to share the locker rooms with. Dragging the defence wide, out-muscling them as well as tormenting them with his towering headers.

Danny's magical moment on the hour mark turned him from a United reject to an Arsenal 'legend' real quick! call it real redemption! His reactions caught the headlines when he couldn't hold his emotions and ended up passionately celebrating his killer goal in front of an awed United following, yes he had left an indelible mark which will take ages to erase. LVG had kicked him out of the team and Karma used his prodigal son to kick him out of the only realistic silverware target they had.

RVP shamefully celebrated like a mad man when he scored against us and well, at least he never got the chance to do that at the Emirates, well how about a bitter pill from Danny who showed no mercy to those who never respected his efforts at United? Off we are to the Wembley and Off is the word United will use to explain their season.

Redemption is nigh! Call me a dreamer but yes I see redemption from the horizon. We are into the semis for a record 28th time in the most coveted competition in England en route to winning it for a record 12 times.  I know I foresaw Arsenal's redemption 10 days ago before playing QPR where we snatched a valuable 2-1 win over Rangers courtesy of Giroud and the now improved Sanchez. All I called for is five straight wins in the league, and now having won at United I am certain my redemption prophesy will be true come end April.

Today we host West Ham and having rested for just five days following an intense but victorious week, expect Wenger to ring some major changes ahead of a vital trip to Monaco next week. Sam Allardyce's men lie 10th on the log, just 6 points adrift of us. A clear indication of what the match holds for both teams. Wenger wants to extend his unbeaten run in London, following major wins in the London derbies, QPR being the latest victim.


Like we've officially recouped Manchester, it's time to make our mark in London, especially after losing the North London Derby some weeks back, not mentioning what happens when we face Chelsea.

Last time we locked horns with The Hammers, a Cazorla's penalty and Welbeck's ended Arsenal's first half struggles to score twice in four minutes. Today represents a very new challenge to Wenger's men, a time when the players need to give it their all and forget about Manchester United and hit the ground running in front of their home fans. A win will not only boost our top 3 finish but will serve as the best preparation ahead of our daunting tie in the Champions League.

Alex Song who believes his disallowed goal last time out was controversial, will be looking to gun his former employers down in a week where Welbeck, Luiz and a couple of other players returned to condemn their former teams. Though I trust our super man Coquelin's fighting spirit to quench Song's influence in midfield.

Upfront we'll be hoping Giroud, Cazorla and Walcott's luck against the Hammers continues after seeing the England international netting four times and setting up three more goals in the past fixtures. Wenger admitted he's been cautious with Theo's return and however gave a hint on starting him today after confirming "He's ready to play" having just made 11 appearances after his lengthy lay off. Every Gooner won't mind an Ozil-Cazorla-Sanchez-Walcott partnership in midfield, and a win will most definitely steer us closer to redemption!

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal have won their last nine league and cup games against West Ham, including eight Premier League matches.
• The Hammers did the double over the Gunners in the 2006-07 season but since then are winless in 14 league and cup games (D2, L12) against them.

Arsenal

• The Gunners have won 11 of 13 games since New Year's Day, including seven wins from eight league matches.
• They have claimed 21 Premier League points in 2015 - only Liverpool, with 23, have a better record.
• Arsenal have won seven consecutive home league games - they have not won eight in a row since a 13-match streak in 2005.
• Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in four games against West Ham, while Theo Walcott has netted five times in his last four matches against the Hammers.
• Francis Coquelin has made 41 Premier League interceptions since returning from a loan spell with Charlton in December - more than any other player in the same period.

West Ham United

• The Hammers are winless in their last seven league and cup games (D3, L4).
• They have recorded just one victory in 11 Premier League games since Christmas Day (D5, L5).
• Sam Allardyce has yet to win a Premier League game away to Arsenal in his managerial career, losing seven and drawing three of 10 games.
• They have kept one Premier League clean sheet away from home this term - against Southampton last month. It is the joint-lowest total in the top flight along with Burnley and QPR. 

TEAM NEWS : In Wenger's words

-Boss on OxChambo: "It's a hamstring injury. He'll be out for three to four weeks."
-More team news: "Flamini is available and Gabriel will return to training on Sunday."

-Boss on Jack Wilshere: "It's very difficult to say when he will be back. We have to respect his recovery."
-Wenger on Arteta: "He's back in full training today. I think he'll return in three weeks."

My predicted line up: 

                     Ospina
      Bellerin,Koscielny,Mertesacker,Gibbs

             Coquelin, Ramsey

                Walcott,Ozil,Cazorla,Sanchez

                       Giroud 

My AFCvWHFC predictions:

Arsenal 2-1 West Ham (Cazorla, Walcott)

                               

IG/Twitter: @bryoshavin

Qpr v Arsenal: The beginning of our redemption

Let's all laugh at Tottenham.. hahahahahahahaha. well that's enough for today. Ooops what a weird way to start a blog, hehe at least every Arsenal fan knows what their cup loss to Chelsea will do to their already distorted esteem.

 Wenger does read my blog! yeah you read it right!! wondering how I knew? I was busy ranting about Per's Champions League performance and highlighting the need to bring in our fighter, Gaby in the fold to restore Arsenal's fear factor in our back four. He came on, was magnificent and Boom! kept another clean sheet, this time round in his league full debut! Wenger does listen to me! see what I did there?

Today I won't make much noise but to be honest who loved Arsenal's performance on Sunday? we showed less zeal against Everton and thanks to our concentration levels we never allowed them the freedom to hit us on the break like before. From the onset we looked shaky and when Cazorla, our captain for the day lost the ball I was almost counting an early goal for the Toffees. It wasn't a commendable display especially in the first half but at least we finished our job early thanks to Emirates lover, Olivier Giroud and the evergreen Rosicky.

Ozil who was anonymous for the better part of the game, roofed all that with two exquisite assists. First picked Giroud from a corner for the under pressure forward to put the Gunners ahead with a well taken flick, and register his 51st goal for the club to make it his 7th goal in 9 starts for Arsenal. After being heavily criticized for poorly defending set pieces, the goal meant Arsenal had now scored 15 times from set pieces this term.

After Martinez's men looked like they were heading for an equalizer, Tomas Rosicky steered steered the ship to glory when the 34-year-old Mozzart scored the winner in the dying minutes, courtesy of Ozil's pass to mark Arsenal's 7th consecutive victory at the Emirates for the first time since 2005.

90 minutes later, the under performing Ozil was hailed as the game's hero after his double assists propelled him to stand among the best goal creators in the league's history.

The third best  Mesut Özil now has the third best minutes (224) per assist rate in Premier League history (min. 10 assists).

His performance also means that the German maestro has assisted a goal in each of his last three Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium. Do you know since signing for the club 19 months ago Ozil is yet to lose a league match at the Emirates? now you know.

Tonight Arsenal travel to the Loftus Road stadium to face off relegation bound QPR.

Having registered 18 points from a possible 21 points already, this fixture represents 3 more vital matches which in my opinion, will shape Arsenal's season should we register wins.

Winning five in a row (counting from Palace's game) is not easy, but for a club of Arsenal's calibre, ten in a row should be the least target for every player. After the Rangers we have West Ham,Newcastle and Liverpool as our next opponents in the league, sandwiched between tricky fixtures (United) on Monday and a trip to Monaco. Should we win tonight on the road, then that could change our momentum heading to our last fixtures in the league and the FA Cup.

Last time we faced QPR, Sanchez had one of the best performances in red and white. Started with a missed penalty but the Chilean fired back with a brilliant header and an assist which Rosicky buried in to earn a hard fought 2-1win with 10 man on the field courtesy of Giroud's stupid red card.

Tonight's fixture is a tough one on paper, looking at our previous visits at the R's. Having won just one game in seven visits there. However, it being a London Derby, it represents a perfect opportunity for Giroud to make up for his red card with a couple of goals. The Walcott who has been suffering in the bench since he made his recovery months ago, is a master of this fixture, having scored in the last two meetings at Loftus Road Stadium, which makes him a contender in Arsenal's starting line up.

 Coquelin who has made more interceptions (37) than any PL player since coming into the starting line up on December 28, has a tough night ahead. With Arsenal chasing for their second successive away win, our midfield general needs to be at his best if we are to mount real pressure on second placed City, who are just four points away. His tough tackles, loud mouth and determination  will be vital since the young Frenchman has no reason to worry about his role in the squad any more , after he brilliantly cemented his starting berth and has since filled Arteta's boots.

Sanchez is yet to score or create a goal in a while after making a flying start in the league. The good thing is the British press is yet to kill his mood, criticizing him for his goal drought. Cazorla and Ozil have done great to cover up for Sanchez's poor run in front of goal with goals and assists, but I expect him to roar back tonight against the side he caused lots of trouble last time out.

Qpr are always tricky when fighting for survival but it should be known that ; Since the start of the 2012/13 season Arsenal have had little problems against teams in the bottom half of the table, losing just two of their last 54 games. #COYG!!


 Team news

-Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be available after returning to training ahead of schedule following a hamstring problem.

-Jack Wilshere (ankle) will miss out, as will Mathieu Flamini (hamstring), Abou Diaby (calf) and Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) but Francis Coquelin could play despite fracturing his nose in Sunday's win over Everton.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal have won their last three Premier League games against QPR and lost just one of the last seven (W5, D1, L1).
• However, the Gunners have only won one of their last seven league matches away to Rangers (D4, L2).
• They have netted just 13 goals in 13 Premier League games against QPR.

Queens Park Rangers

• Rangers are win less in their last nine Premier League London derbies (D3, L6).
• They have lost five of their last six league games, and have claimed just one win in nine matches since Christmas Day.
• Matt Phillips has registered three assists in his last two games - having managed just two in his previous 32 league appearances.

Arsenal

• The Gunners have won six of their last seven Premier League games, and are chasing a fourth consecutive top-flight win.
• They are hoping to record back-to-back Premier League away wins for the first time this season. Their first five away victories were followed by defeat in their next game on the road.
• Olivier Giroud has scored seven goals in his last nine top-flight starts.
• Mesut Ozil has assisted five goals in 12 Premier League appearances this season. 
• Theo Walcott has scored Arsenal's only goal of the game in both of his two previous Premier League appearances at Loftus Road.
• This match hasn’t ended in a draw since March 1996, a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road
• Each of Arsenals last 5 away victories have been followed by a defeat in their next away match. They won their last away game 2-1 at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace.

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Arsenal v Everton: Let Gabriel's experience restore Arsenal's fear factor

After every awful Arsenal performance, expecting a defensive, clueless and shitty boss in Wenger's skin.  Unlike the likes of Mourinho, Ancelotti, Guardiola and Fergie, Wenger will never publicly criticize his under performers! why? who cares whether that's Wenger's policy, if they didn't do well there's certainly no way to sugar coat a 3-1 loss!

Mertesacker was dreadful, missed his basic steps, failed in his communication skills and the captain's arm band must have felt uncomfortable enduring the giant's friction in front of the home fans.

On the first goal, we can't quite blame his stupid turn which deflected the ball in, Welbeck once again thought he was Ronaldo and wanted to dribble the chalk out of the field which failed miserably. Per should have at least gone for a tackle rather than pose a tourist waiting to capture that Kondogbia magical moment with a wooden lens.

On the second goal, where the hell was this monster? he was busy playing as an attacking midfielder who graduated from a 20th tier academy in Germany. Even an out of form Squilllaci would know the consequences of exposing his back four especially when you are playing as a last man! still Wenger said nothing against his woeful captain for the night.

"Congratulations to Monaco, they had a perfect result and played the game they wanted to play.... Really Wenger, really? .. We were not at the level defensively and we were a BIT unlucky as well because the first goal is deflected." That's what the 65-year-old manager had to say after a shambolic Champions League night. 'A BIT' unlucky is what the manager saw, a reason we'll

never progress past the knock out stages or win the league, its high time the French manager starts to act up and give the under performers some proper hair dryer or a zipper in that matter.

He might have scored half a century goals for the club, but that doesn't give him the free will to score only when he is involved in a love scandal, he is paid to score day in day out! the guy has played a few games after he was forced to sit out a larger part of the first half of the season with a foot injury, so I don't understand why the lad is not hungry enough to add to his poor Champions League tally.

“Olivier has done well until now,” Wenger said. “He had a night where he missed chances and that can happen to any striker - every world-class striker has had that.

“I didn’t take him off to punish him - I just took him off because.... Again Wenger needs to grow some balls to tell off players. Just cause he scored the winner on Saturday doesn't make him immune to sticks and stones from the manager! if the manager feels his kids still need milk and cereals, its time he steps down and becomes a nun! I can't tolerate such performances in future, I don't thrive in top four positions and it's shameful that Arsenal fans appear ambitious than their manager. Food for thought guys.


Trying to move on swiftly, Ox's goal was eclipsed by the third goal, which the hero himself turned into a villain, trying to dribble past every boot he came across rather than pass!

Glad Ox is back and since we are facing Everton today, the likes of Ozil and Sanchez need to pull off a perfect performance or see the youngster race with their spots.

The odds are against Everton as they head to the Emirates. Looking at the numbers they are yet to register a win in 18 attempts away at Arsenal.However, Roberto Martinez men have of late caused us all manners of trouble whenever we travel to Goodison park a ground, which I can't remember the last time we won. (5 games without a win in the league)

Ozil has made Everton his main chic, scoring almost every time he see the toffees in front of his goal, as well as playing huge roles in creating goals. Steven Naismith on the other hand, is slowly paying Wenger his dowry having scored twice in the last two appearances. Come on, we should tame them all today!

Lukaku has been Everton's saviour of late having scored 5 goals in his last few games for the Toffees, something which makes him an outright threat to our feeble defence. It's clear that we've won each of our last 6 BPL games at the Emirates since United, but if Wenger wants to secure that record, he should bench Per and start Gabriel in central defence.

The old man's time at Arsenal might not be up but the giant's performances of late have been dwarfed by his lack of wise game reading and his inconsistency is wanting. He might be the stand in captain, but does his performances on the pitch warrant him the arm band? why not try it on Rosicky or Cazorla today and let Gaby (whom I believed was not only Vermaelen's replacement but Per's successor) control our back four with his hunger and physicality!

Gabriel put in a recommendable performance on his first start against Boro, which he kept a clean sheet but also his discipline and commitment to fight for his tea mates stood out. I believe he has enough quality and experience to bring back Arsenal's fear factor at the back four and also whenever we are on the break.

Just like Szczesny enjoys the smoke from the bench, let Per learn his mistakes from the same position as we look to return to the top three, and as we prepare for QPR's match on Wednesday and  United's clash next Monday.

TEAM NEWS: According to Wenger:

on Jack Wilshere...
Jack Wilshere had a little surgery to take his two buttons off his ankle because they were irritating him but it’s a very minor procedure. He’ll be out for a few days.

on Arteta and Debuchy…
They are still a few weeks away.

on if Gabriel could play v Everton…
I have not made any decision yet for Sunday’s game. We will have to rotate a little bit, because we play Sunday and Wednesday. There will certainly be some changes.

on Ramsey and Flamini..

They are nearly there, not completely there. From Wednesday night I don’t think we have lost anybody. We have no major problems.

My predicted line up:

With Wenger having openly suggested of ringing changes on his side, I expect:
 Ospina, Chambers, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Walcott, Cazorla,Ozil,Sanchez,Giroud to start.

My AFCvEFC predictions: Everton 1-2 Arsenal (Ozil & Giroud)




MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Everton have not won any of their last 18 league visits to Arsenal (D4, L14).
• Arsenal scored twice in the last seven minutes to earn a 2-2 draw when the sides met at Goodison Park in August. The four goals were scored from just five shots on target.

Arsenal

• Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League matches.
• The Gunners have won their last six league games at the Emirates Stadium. Their only home league defeat since the opening day of last season came against Manchester United in November.
• Santi Cazorla has been involved in six goals in his last five Premier League games (three goals, three assists). He has scored more penalties in the Premier League this season than any of the other 19 clubs overall (six).
• Arsenal have conceded just five first-half goals in their last 18 league games. 
• Arsenal have now gone five games without a win against Everton, their worst such run in the history of this fixture.
• Steven Naismith has scored in his last two Premier League appearances against the Gunners.
• Everton have won none of their last 20 away matches against Arsenal in all competitions (D4 L16).
• Mesut Ozil has scored two goals and set up one more in three appearances against Everton in all competitions.
• Only Everton (17) and Swansea (16) have dropped more points from winning positions than Arsenal (14) in the Premier League this season.

Everton

• Everton have won just one of their last 10 league games.
• The Toffees are 17 points worse off than they were after 26 games last season.
• Everton have dropped a league-high 17 points from winning positions this season.
• Steven Naismith has scored in his last two league appearances against Arsenal. 

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