Match Progress and Key Moments
32 min: Everton attempts another shot, well struck by the active Dewsbury-Hall, but Raya makes a comfortable save low to his left.
30 min: As the half-hour mark passes, Dewsbury-Hall tries to navigate through midfield but is outnumbered. Meanwhile, a camera captures Martin Odegaard in the stands, dressed in baggy pale jeans, adopting a relaxed manspread posture.
29 min: In the last 14 minutes, there have been three shots, all from Arsenal. Arsenal advances into the box with Rice, but Garner times his tackle effectively to prevent a scoring opportunity.
28 min: Everton escapes pressure and Ndiaye delivers another quality cross, but no teammate is positioned to capitalize on it.
26 min: Arsenal maintains possession in the final third. Havertz and Saka briefly swap positions, with Havertz winning a corner. Alan Smith comments on the Keane-Havertz incident, calling it a foul. Saka’s corner reaches Calafiori’s head, but the referee had already stopped play for a free kick.
24 min: Eze provides a delicate through ball to Havertz, who falls as Keane attends to him. The crowd appeals for a penalty, but the referee and VAR do not award one.
23 min: Everton plays cautiously at the back, but Gueye clears a dangerous situation he created himself.
22 min: Arsenal resumes dominance after a brief interruption. A sequence of passes concludes with Saliba overhitting a cross.
20 min: At Stamford Bridge, Newcastle takes the lead with a tap-in by Anthony Gordon, assisted by Joe Willock.
18 min: Everton has two chances, both involving Dwight McNeil. Ndiaye advances down the left and crosses; Raya deflects the ball to McNeil, who is blocked by Calafiori’s impressive scorpion kick. The ball returns to McNeil, who shoots powerfully into the post, but the offside flag is raised. Everton retains a glimmer of hope.
16 min: Arsenal pushes forward, with Raya clearing the ball long to Pickford.
15 min: Arsenal counters as Madueke sprints down the left. Keane shoves him outside the area but is not penalized. David Moyes gestures towards the fourth official, reasons unclear.
13 min: Saka’s header is saved by Pickford’s reflex, but Saka was offside. Arsenal has already taken five shots, close to their total in 90 minutes against Leverkusen. Calafiori has contributed notably.
11 min: The game settles into a pattern resembling a siege. Zubimendi has a shot blocked, and Saka misses a shot wide.
9 min: Arsenal’s corner is not taken short and is cleared. Gabriel heads a cross into the box, Zubimendi juggles and sets up Calafiori, whose volley goes over the bar.
8 min: Everton threatens a counterattack from the corner, but Rice intercepts. Arsenal wins another corner, earned by Calafiori.
6 min: Arsenal surprises with a short corner, leading to a shot saved comfortably by Pickford, marking his 350th game for Everton.
5 min: Everton advances and Eberechi Eze earns a free kick, taken quickly and leading to a throw-in. Calafiori throws into the box, resulting in an Arsenal corner.
4 min: These are Everton’s first four league minutes this season without James Tarkowski, with no immediate impact noted.
3 min: When Arsenal crosses midfield, Havertz drops deep but is dispossessed immediately.
2 min: Everton gains possession but remains within their half.
1 min: The match kicks off with Arsenal employing an up-and-under tactic, leading to a chance quickly stopped by Saliba. Declan Rice goes down briefly but recovers while limping.
The players are on the pitch. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s stand-in captain, leads his team in hand slaps along the line. Mikel Arteta greets David Moyes warmly. The crowd chants "North London Forever" and applauds themselves.
“Bayern have just drawn 1-1 at Leverkusen too,” says Lenny Peters. “So it’s clearly a tough place to go.”
Arsenal’s recent 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen was not as poor as initially perceived and remains the best result among Premier League clubs in the Champions League round, matched by Newcastle’s 1-1 against Barcelona. Arsenal will host the second leg. Some fans perceive the team as fatigued; the impact of Havertz, Calafiori, and Madueke will be crucial.
The sun shines in north London, though the Met Office forecasts a 20% chance of rain between 6 and 7 pm at Highbury, increasing to 30% in the following hour.
Recent league results include Bournemouth settling for a draw at Burnley, marking six draws in nine league games since Antoine Semenyo’s departure. Sunderland suffered a rare home defeat to Brighton, resulting in both teams having identical records of 10 wins, 10 draws, and 10 losses. Sunderland drops to 12th place, Brighton rises to 10th, with Fulham positioned between them and holding a game in hand.
Added time in the 3 pm kick-offs sees only one goal scored so far. Will Unwin will provide updates on any late developments.
An email from Dan Hoskins suggests renaming the fixture the "Kevin Campbell Derby," honoring a player cherished by both clubs.
According to Sky, this is the first Arsenal starting XI featuring both Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz since December 2024 against Crystal Palace. Both players share quick intelligence, raising hopes for Saka’s return to form.
Teams in Full
Both sides have missing players, but Arsenal appears stronger. Arsenal’s main concern might be Martin Zubimendi’s early safety, as their bench includes a goalkeeper, four defenders, two wingers, and two forwards. Myles Lewis-Skelly may fill midfield if necessary.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Eze; Saka, Havertz, Madueke.
Subs: Kepa, White, Mosquera, Hincapié, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, Gyokeres, Jesus, Martinelli.
Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Garner, O’Brien, Keane, Mykolenko; Gueye, Iroegbunam; Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall, McNeil; Beto.
Subs: Travers, Coleman, Aznou, Patterson, Armstrong, Dibling, Rohl, George, Barry.
Teams in Brief: Havertz In, Tarkowski Out
Mikel Arteta adjusts the lineup, giving Kai Havertz his first start at centre-forward in some time and refreshing the left flank by replacing Piero Hincapié and Gabriel Martinelli with Riccardo Calafiori and Noni Madueke.
Everton makes significant changes at the back. James Tarkowski and Jarrod Branthwaite are absent, likely due to injury. Michael Keane moves into the lineup, Jake O’Brien shifts from right-back, James Garner fills that position, and Tim Iroegbunam starts in midfield. Tarkowski’s absence is notable, as he would have been instrumental in set-piece battles.
Match Context and Managerial Background
Good afternoon and welcome to what was historically known as the Alan Ball derby. Rumors suggest it may soon be called the Myles Lewis-Skelly derby. Currently, it is the Mikel Arteta derby.
Arteta, a former skilled midfielder, played more games for Everton than any other club. He was introduced to English football by David Moyes, his counterpart tonight. Both managers have established long tenures; Moyes is in his 13th year managing Everton, and Arteta is in his seventh year at Arsenal, making him the second longest-serving Premier League manager after Pep Guardiola. However, longevity does not always equate to entertaining matches. Since Moyes’ return to Everton 14 months ago, encounters with Arteta have been subdued.
In the final days at Goodison Park, a 1-1 draw occurred with Everton’s goal from a penalty by Iliman Ndiaye and Arsenal’s from open play by Leandro Trossard, assisted by Raheem Sterling. Just before Christmas, at the Hill Dickinson, Arsenal won 1-0 in a match decided by two penalty decisions. Arsenal converted one via Viktor Gyokeres, while Everton’s late penalty claim was denied by VAR due to "insignificant contact".
Tonight promises significant physicality, with both teams known for strength and aggression, likely offering a spectacle for fans of intense, physical football.
Arsenal leads the league and tops the home points per game table with 2.5, narrowly ahead of Manchester City’s 2.4. Everton leads the away form table over the past six away games with 14 points, remaining undefeated with wins at Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Fulham, and Newcastle.
Can Everton secure a win at the Emirates? It is unlikely, as no visitors from outside the top six have earned even a draw this season; only Manchester United have won there, and Manchester City and Liverpool have drawn. Moyes, who previously had a poor record at the Emirates, did win 2-0 on his last visit.
Preparation for this match included watching Arsenal’s Under-21s lose 5-1 at home to Leicester City.
Photograph: Everton's Gueye in action with Arsenal's Eze. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/
