Carlo Ancelotti Says Everton Was 'The Right Choice,' Despite Arsenal Rumours

Carlo Ancelotti was linked with the Arsenal job back in December, but the Italian is convinced joining Everton was the best move ahead of facing the Gunners in the Premier League on Sunday.

Ancelotti took charge of his first game as Everton boss on December 26, the same day former Toffees midfielder Mikel Arteta assumed control at Arsenal. Both men initially enjoyed a watching brief when the two teams drew 0-0 at Goodison Park five days earlier.

They have each made progress with their respective clubs since, leaving Ancelotti content with his decision, per the Liverpool Echo's Sam Carroll: "I am happy to be here! I did the right choice. I feel good here. I found a good atmosphere, I like the place, so everything is OK until now."

Ancelotti is right to take comfort from his work so far. The 60-year-old has helped Everton rise above the threat of relegation into ninth place, just two points shy of the European places.

Everton's run has included five wins, two draws and just a single defeat in eight league games. It's been good enough to move the Toffees two points above Arsenal.

Even so, Ancelotti still respects Arteta's efforts, saying "Arsenal have improved a lot in the last period and are playing better."

The Gunners haven't won as consistently as Everton, but Arteta has succeeded in making the north London side tougher to beat. He's lost just once in 11 games in all competitions but has drawn five of eight in England's top flight.

Finding the winning edge has proved difficult, but Arsenal have become stronger defensively. The Gunners have kept five clean sheets, including in each of their last three games following Thursday's 1-0 win over Olympiacos in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League last 32:

Aside from reviving the form of mistake-prone centre-backs David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi, Arteta has also helped converted winger Bukayo Saka thrive at left-back:

Revitalised Everton will provide the sternest test to date of Arsenal's new-found solidity. Ancelotti has gotten key attackers such as Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to click.

Calvert-Lewin has scored six league goals on the Italian's watch, while Richarlison has chipped in with three goals and an assist.

The Brazilian was the dominant force behind the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last time out:

The prolific forwards have Ancelotti believing he can guide Everton into a European tournament at the first time of asking. He said his players "have to be thinking about Europe," despite a run of fixtures that will see the Toffees face Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool after Sunday's trip to the Emirates Stadium.

Fourth-place Chelsea are only five points above Ancelotti's men, a testament to how the confidence the three-time UEFA Champions League winner has brought to the blue half of Merseyside has translated into results.

Ancelotti might have been restoring belief among the Gunners had planned talks gone ahead following his sacking from Napoli in December—despite guiding the Serie A outfit into the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Arsenal eventually moved for Arteta, who was briefly linked with a return to Everton. Tabbing the one-time Manchester City assistant to replace another ex-player, Freddie Ljungberg, looked like a risk for an Arsenal squad in disarray following Unai Emery's dismissal in November.

The decision appeared riskier still in the context of the links to Ancelotti. Unlike Arteta, he has a proven track record of winning at the top level, adding league titles with AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich to the European hardware captured with Real Madrid and the Rossoneri.

Ancelotti seemed the perfect candidate to restore credibility and stability to a club adrift even before legendary former boss Arsene Wenger stepped down in 2018. Joining Everton looked like a backward step for man with such an impressive resume, while Arteta's inexperience made the Arsenal job appear too big for him.

Both men have been proving these preconceptions wrong and steadily winning over the doubters. Sunday's game will not only impact each team's chances of being in Europe next season, it will provide onlookers with a tangible glimpse of what might have been.