Arsenal Vs Everton: The perfect test of progress

Arsenal host Everton on Sunday afternoon. The match provides the perfect test of progress for Unai Emery’s men as their greatest weakness will be challenged: defending the counter-attack.

Arsenal have always had an issue with defending counter-attacks. I can’t quite remember the last time when I was confident about watching an Arsenal game when it came to the opposition breaking on them with speed and pace to drive into, especially in the big games against the best teams and attacking players.

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Arsene Wenger prioritised possession to the detriment of the rest of the team. This was most notable against opposing counter-attacks. Time and time again, the Gunners would have comfortable and fairly safe possession in the middle to attacking third. They would then lose the ball for whatever reason. Suddenly, it was three-on-two at the other end with Per Mertesacker’s giraffe-like legs scrambling to cover 20 yards against a blistering Sergio Aguero.

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And so far this season, it seems as though Unai Emery has been unable to fix the problem — that is why Emery is at the club, to solve the problems that existed because of Wenger’s management. Now, we are six competitive matches into Emery’s reign. It would be naive to expect him to have fixed all of the problems that were present prior to his arrival. But the early signs have not been good. The counter-attack has still been a major thorn in the side.

West Ham United exploited quick-paced breaks time and time again, particularly down the flanks with the advanced positions of Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal vacating vast spaces in wide zones. Cardiff City also found joy on the counter-attack, as did Newcastle United last weekend, particularly when they were able to attack quickly immediately after a turnover. And now Arsenal face one of the best counter-attacking teams in the Premier League.

On paper, Marco Silva’s Everton have the perfect set-up to cause problems, create chances and score goals on the break. Terrifying speed out wide, a centre-forward that can hold up the ball, bring others into play and flick clearances into channels, and a midfield that has the awareness and calmness to not merely clear the ball in a panic but play passes forward that actually serve the Everton attackers.

Theo Walcott, as Arsenal know all too well, is a blistering weapon on the right flank; Richarlison, who is set to return from suspension, is an equally dangerous attacker on the opposite flank, while Gylfi Sigurdsson has the quality on the ball to find them both in threatening zones of the pitch. This is the perfect test to see if Emery has been able to instill a system, shape and structure that limits the openings the opposition has to score on the counter-attack.

Can Granit Xhaka show the awareness and sense of danger that is required to snuff out these attacks before they develop? Can Bellerin and Monreal be diligent enough to know when to push into the final third and when to be a little more cautious in their positioning? Will Emery field Lucas Torreira or Matteo Guendouzi, the former offering that little bit more athleticism and speed to screen the defence?

These are all questions that will be answered as the season unfolds. But we will get a glimpse at an answer on Sunday. Everton will challenge Arsenal on the counter-attack. And that is precisely what Emery and his players need.