Arsenal face four-player headache as Everton backed to trouble leaders

Arteta declares Arsenal home form 'crucial' in title race

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Everton have been urged to park the bus and frustrate Arsenal tonight. Former Aston Villa star Gabriel Agbonlahor claims the Toffees have four players in particular who could trouble the league leaders.

Arsenal are looking for revenge over Everton following their 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge last month. This is the Gunners’ game in hand over Manchester City and they can open up a five-point gap with a win.

Everton have won two of their five matches under Dyche, losing last time out to Villa. But Agbonlahor believes they have the ingredients to cause Arsenal problems.

The pundit wants to see a midfield trio of Idrissa Gueye, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andrea Onana, who also played the reverse fixture. He also thinks Demarai Gray is a necessity up top, having made just two substitute performances under Dyche so far.

Agbonlahor told talkSPORT: “They have to use their players. The last few games, Demarai Gray hasn’t played, he hasn’t started.

“I’m thinking tonight, get your three in midfield – Onana, Doucoure, Gueye. Get them three in the middle, they like to get the ball, they can run with the ball on the counter-attack.

“Get Demarai Gray as your No 9, your false nine, someone with speed and can run with the ball. And just park the bus against Arsenal, frustrate them.”

Agbonlahor has called on Everton to put together a run of similar performances to climb away from the relegation zone. He added: “They can’t just turn up one week and not the next.

“Against Aston Villa, they did okay in the first half but Aston Villa won quite comfortably in the end. So Everton have got to wake up tonight and hopefully see if they can upset Arsenal and try and nick a draw.”

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Mikel Arteta knows he is in for another tough test against Dyche. He has won just one of six previous meetings with the former Burnley boss.

Arteta said: “It’s a case of doing things better than we did when we played them a few weeks ago and earning the right to win the game. Hopefully tomorrow we will play much better than we did that day.

“Obviously with Sean it’s quite clear what he’s done and where the success they’ve had is coming from. Tomorrow we’ll prepare the game in an appropriate and similar way [to the away match].

“But with every manager, it’s the same. We have to look at certain matches, what they do and try to get the right tactics to beat them – and as well the same mentality and expectation of what we demand in the game.”

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