(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Everton v Arsenal, Premier League, August 15, 2009
Everton 11/5; Draw 11/5; Arsenal 13/10
Last season’s fifth-place Toffees play host to last season’s fourth-place Arsenal on Saturday evening as the Premier League gets underway with a mouth-watering match. Nine points separated the two teams at the end of last season, and the Merseysiders will be looking to get one over on the Wenger Boys on the opening day of the season.
Last season in the corresponding fixture Arsenal claimed a 1-all draw thanks to a late Robin van Persie strike, but perhaps more telling was the manner of Everton’s goal on the day—a Tim Cahill header from a sweet Leighton Baines cross.
With Tim Cahill (8/1 to score first), one of the star players of the 2008/09 season, having just netted a brace against the Republic of Ireland, the Socceroo continues to look in fine goalscoring touch and will again prove a thorn in the side of the Gunners backline.
Aside from Cahill, although the Toffee attack will be weakened for the absences of Mikel Arteta and Yakubu through injury, additional goal-threats will come from the superb Marouane Fellaini (7/2 to score), while up-top Jo (2/1 to score) and Louis Saha (9/4 to score) both have enough guile and ability to cause the Arsenal defence serious bother.
It is at the back where the question-marks begin to surface against David Moyes’ side, with the major headline grabbing story being speculation over how the Goodison faithful will react to Joleon Lescott after the defender handed in a transfer request begging the club to let him join Manchester City. Expect to hear a torrent of boos bellowed in Lescott’s direction.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Everton articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
1 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete