Arsenal vs Everton predicted XI: Keep the streak alive

Arsenal look to make it four straight clean sheets as they host Everton. Here is how they’ll likely line up to get the job done.

Against all odds, Arsenal have found defensive solidity right when it seemed most impossible. They’ve now kept three straight clean sheets with the defensive partnership of Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz, which is equal parts incredible and baffling.

But it’s working. Whatever Mikel Arteta is doing, it’s working. His defensive philosophy is turning the club around from the back, and as we are hosting the Toffees, it’s completely reasonable to think that another clean sheet could be in the cards.

Arteta will also be dealing with some tired legs, however, as Olympiakos was just on Thursday and he didn’t exactly make use of a lot of rotation. Especially on the defensive side of things. He is going all out in all competitions, and as long as it works, I won’t complain, but I do worry that players will lose a little pep in their step before long.

As for the injury report, the long-term injuries to Calum Chambers and Kieran Tierney are still in effect, though Tierney will hope to return to training soon.

Elsewhere, Reiss Nelson and Cedric Soares also remain unavailable, though they are also inching closer to returns.

Sokratis picked up a knock as a rightback against Olympiakos, but he was unlikely to feature anyway, so don’t expect to see him. And lastly, Lucas Torreira remains doubtful with the illness that kept him out of the trip to Greece.

As for the formation, don’t expect anything exotic. Mikel Arteta has found his sweet spot with the 4-2-3-1, same as Arsene Wenger had, and he is going to stick with it. Likely through just about anything. He’s proven it to be defensively reliable, mobile, and adaptable. All rather good things.

And so, without further expostulation, let’s get into the starting XI, starting at the back.

Keeper

Can I gush about Bernd Leno just a little bit more? Great. He’s fantastic. He’s our player of the season. And as long as he’s at the back, I have one less thing to worry about. Amen.

On to the defense.