Everton line-ups for Arsenal as Iliman Ndiaye new position decision made

A little later than expected, Everton are back. The postponed Merseyside derby last weekend meant the challenging December run-in was put on hold, although the trip to Arsenal today very much signifies its arrival.

The Gunners seemed to have recovered some form after a sluggish start to the season and will be desperate not to lose any more ground to Liverpool in the Premier League title race. They are currently six points behind the Reds, but have played a game more.

As for Everton, any positive result in north London would feel like a positive. After beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 last time out there is at least some breathing room between the Blues and the relegation zone.

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This is how both of our Everton writers would set the team up for today's game.

Joe Thomas

There are plenty of options within this squad that I would like to take a look at but I’m not sure this is the game to do it in.

Wolves feels like a long time ago but that win released a lot of pressure on this side, and on Sean Dyche, and the derby postponement has meant the prolonged break has taken place on the back of a good result which, combined with the results of teams around Everton, has provided an unexpected jolt of momentum. Arsenal away is a game in which that positivity could dissolve quite quickly so I think this is a case of sticking to what we know is more effective for this side.

When it works, it tends to do so with Abdoulaye Doucoure in a central attacking role and while I don’t think him playing there is a sustainable option for a team that wants to really progress, Everton’s best chance of results over the coming weeks is to stick to what the squad knows and, essentially, what they are most comfortable with under Dyche.

It means Orel Mangala keeps his place after his excellent display against Wolves, as does Vitalii Mykolenko, who has had a tough season but has had some success dealing with Bukayo Saka. Dominic Calvert-Lewin starts for me, but he does so on high alert that Armando Broja is on his heels and I would like to see him get minutes off the bench at the Emirates.

My team (4-5-1) Pickford: Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young; McNeil, Mangala, Doucoure, Gueye, Ndiaye; Calvert-Lewin

Chris Beesley

The postponement of what was going to be the final Premier League Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park a week ago ensures that Everton have had 10 days off since they were last in action, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0. That was the Blues’ biggest home win since Marco Silva’s side overcame Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United by the same scoreline some five-and-a-half years earlier, but Sean Dyche’s men haven’t found the net on the road in their previous three away matches at Southampton, West Ham United or Manchester United.

The team’s main striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, dropped to the bench at Old Trafford but then recalled against Wolves, who endured a 23-game goal drought last season, has now gone three months since he last registered at Aston Villa.

Everton’s number nine was cruelly denied last time out as opposition centre-back Craig Dawson beat him to the punch twice to bag a brace of own goals and while there has been a flurry of excitement over deadline day signing Armando Broja, who replaced the Yorkshireman late on to make his debut, the on-loan Chelsea player who failed to get off the mark for Fulham last season, still got a long way to go to show that he’s a better bet to lead the line. Although Iliman Ndiaye was still finding his feet on the right wing against Gary O’Neil’s team, he still looked more of a threat than either Jesper Lindstrom or Jack Harrison have done for several weeks.

The balance of the Blues side seemed better than it’s arguably been all this term with Orel Mangala able to pick a pass in midfield and Abdoulaye Doucoure back supporting his striker, which as Joe Thomas remarked is more of an advanced “number six” role than being a genuine “number 10” but either way, it seemed to work. Arsenal away will undoubtedly be a much tougher test but I’d give this new system another go as it might be the way forward after the early travails of 2024/25.

My team (4-5-1): Pickford; Young, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Branthwaite; Gueye, Mangala, Doucoure, Ndiaye, McNeil; Calvert-Lewin.