Pick Arsenal to Outgun Everton

Arsenal v Everton
Wednesday March 1 2023, 14:45 ET
At the Emirates Stadium, London

Premier League leader Arsenal plays its ‘game in hand’ this week and looks like a solid pick to outgun the struggling visitor, Everton.

Who do Bettors Favor?

Checking out the odds at the top rated online sportsbooks it is no surprise to find that bettors heavily favor Arsenal in this game. The Premier League leader is priced at -285 in some places, while the visiting team Everton is rated as a +850 underdog and the draw is available at +410.

Arsenal v Everton
Arsenal	-275	-270	-285
Draw	+410	+390	+380
Everton	+850	+760	+800

Arsenal Standing Strong

If anyone doubted Arsenal’s ability to handle the pressure of the Premier League run-in, Mikel Arteta’s men have shown those fears to be misplaced and as the spring approaches, Arsenal is standing strong at the top of the Premier League table, two points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand.

This midweek fixture is that game in hand and victory here would open up a five-point gap, with a crucial game at the Etihad in April and other tough fixtures against Liverpool, Newcastle, and Chelsea.

Back-to-back away wins, against Aston Villa and Leicester, restored confidence, as did the manner of those wins as the Arsenal players had to dig deep to get the result on both occasions. Now, the Gunners have a chance to gain some revenge over an Everton team that secured a shock 1-0 win at Goodison Park at the start of the month, while also increasing the pressure on the chasing bunch.

Everton in Another Relegation Battle

Despite hundreds of millions invested over the last few seasons, Everton is no closer to breaking into the Premier League elite, and once again, a relegation battle beckons.

The tenure of Frank Lampard came to an unhappy end and in Sean Dyche, the club now has a manager who is a veteran of multiple relegation survival fights, and who showed himself adept at getting the maximum out of players of limited talent.

Everton’s problem, however, beyond the immediate question of Premier League survival, is not the same as Burnley’s and Dyche will need to show new qualities if he is to be able to match the ambitions of the club owners. Early signs are that Dyche is molding a team in his image. Two wins from three games and only two goals conceded will have provided relief for fans, but another home defeat, this time to Aston Villa at the weekend, underlines how much work still has to be done.

EPL Betting Head-to-Head

The head-to-head rivalry between Arsenal and Everton does not have the same ferocity as some of English soccer’s oldest derbies, but it does go back a long way and has been played 220 times, making it one of the most-played matchups in the history of soccer.

Arsenal and Everton have spent most of their history in the top flight of English soccer. Arsenal has been there since 1919 and Everton since 1954, and both have been ever-present in the Premier League since its inception in 1992, along with Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

The London team has dominated that record, with 109 wins to Everton’s 65 with 46 draws, but in the last few seasons, the Merseysiders have been on top. Everton has won five of the last eight meetings, including a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park just three weeks ago.

EPL Team News

Arsenal had some positive team news with the return of Thomas Partey, who came on as a late substitute against Leicester at the weekend, although neither Gabriel Jesus nor Mohamed Elneny is likely to be available here as they both continue to recover from knee surgery.

The good news for Everton is that Amadou Onana, who came off against Leeds with a knee problem, was fit enough to start against Villa, although Dyche may opt to rest him in favor of Tom Davies.

The continuing absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, is a major problem for the Toffees, as the club investigates the root cause of the player’s recurring fitness problems, and in his absence, Neal Maupay will continue to play the lone striker role. Neither Andros Townsend nor Nathan Patterson is likely to be available here, but James Garner could earn a place on the bench.

EPL Match Betting Pick

The Arsenal juggernaut just keeps on rolling and even though it has looked shaky at times – particularly when losing heavily to Manchester City last month – the players have shown exactly the right type of resilience and determination to bounce back and continue to find ways to win.

Sean Dyche has a good chance of turning Everton into a respectable mid-table team, but at the moment, it is extremely limited, particularly when it comes to creating chances, and without an Everton threat up front, Arsenal will be free to throw all its attacking options at the visitors. Back the home team to win in the Match Betting market, with Everton failing to score.

Arsenal To beat Everton