Everton vs. Arsenal Betting Tips: Granit Xhaka features in 10/1 fancy
Everton host Arsenal this weekend in what looks set to be a baptism of fire for the new man in charge.
Sean Dyche has plenty of Premier League experience but he has had just days to work with his players ahead of facing a rampant Arsenal side.
Scott Thornton provides his best bets in the player markets ahead of the match.
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Everton vs Arsenal Odds
Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand over Man City.
Pep Guardiola’s side have shown they are capable of finishing strong in recent seasons, meaning Mikel Arteta's side will be cautious and not want to give up any ground prior to facing the reigning champions.
The Gunners were narrowly beaten by Manchester City in the FA Cup but their priority is the league. Arsenal beat Manchester United in their last league game, who were the only side to beat them in the competition this season.
Everton parted ways with Frank Lampard and replaced him with Sean Dyche as they hope to avoid their first relegation since 1951.
They are currently two points from safety but it is tightly packed at the bottom of the Premier League; just three points separate 20th from 14th.
A strong second half of the season could see the Toffees climb into midtable but the improvement needs to start immediately.
Everton vs Arsenal Tips
Granit Xhaka racked up 65 passes in the 63 minutes he played in this fixture earlier in the season. Arsenal won the game 5-1 and had 74% possession.
They shouldn’t be as dominant this time around but the Swiss international is still more than capable of making a huge number of passes.
Xhaka hit 48 passes in the recent matches with both of the Manchester Clubs. Arsenal should be far more dominant in possession on Saturday. In fact, Xhaka has made 55 passes or more in his last five starts against Everton.
The Gunners had 64% possession the last time they visited Goodison Park. Xhaka made 70 passes in that game so his line looks good here.
Sean Dyche’s arrival should have an impact on Everton. However, that is unlikely to translate into an increased amount of possession. Declan Rice made 59 passes in that midfield role against Everton in their last match. The Toffees are averaging 36% possession in their league matches against the ‘big-six’ this season.
We are also going to back Idrissa Gueye to have two tackles in the match.
The box-to-box midfielder returned to Everton from PSG and has always had the reputation for being strong in the tackle. Gueye is averaging 2.4 tackles per 90 minutes played this season. Dyche’s aggressive and compact approach to defending should mean Idrissa is keen to get stuck in and impress the new man in charge.
Gueye has averaged over two tackles per game in all of his league campaigns during his spells at Lille, Aston Villa, PSG and Everton.
Xhaka cleared this pass line earlier in the season before he was substituted. He also made 70 passes in last year’s match at Goodison Park.
He has hit the required mark for this bet to land in his last four visits to this ground.
Idrissa Gueye’s last full season at Everton saw him average 4.3 tackles per game so he is more than capable of beating his average from this season.
Did you know that bet365 will pay out your single bet in full if the team you back goes 2 goals ahead at any stage during the match.
