Arsenal bungle Fulham with Everton coming to fractured Emirates

Arsenal vs Everton vs the World

There is not a fan across Europe that appears to be happy with the thought of the newly aborted ESL. It was roundly dismantled by fans, pundits, players and coaches within hours. Minutes, even. Yet the fallout will continue long after the most overt discussion has died down; the media cycle is rapid, yet fans don’t always move on as quickly.

Arsenal will be mercilessly heckled, ridiculed, remarked at and derided. #KroenkeOut will continue to trend on Twitter, and players might even be asked the odd question regarding it all, as if they had anything to do with in a larger sense. They may have voted, they may have been asked, they may have had neither courtesy extended to them; I personally have a difficult time seeing any of these massive clubs leaving a multi-billion dollar decision to whether their players voted yes or no on it, but I could be incorrect.

Regardless of this, the team will have to play hard, will have to focus, and will have to find a way to pull out three points against Everton. This isn’t your fathers Toffees, and so Carlo Ancelotti will have an impassioned, well managed outfit ready to take the field against a team he remembers playing when he managed Chelsea. Whether he can win is another matter all together, yet I know Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are keen to try to avoid two losses to Everton in the same season.

For Arsenal to accomplish this, the young players will have to come to play. Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli will have to shine, as will whoever comes in to replace fallen friend Alexandre Lacazette. Should those names be able to create mayhem at the backline of Everton they could very well nick some goals and challenge the Toffees in a match they need more for Europe than Arsenal does.

The Gunners can win, but will they? We will simply have to wait and see, yet in a season of ups and downs, this match could be as winnable or unrealistic as any other in both theory and practice.

Both teams have wonderful offensive weapons that sometimes misfire, positive midfield pieces that are still working on their fluidity, goalkeepers who can have blinders and boast young, talented and inconsistent defenses.

For me, this is an awesome week, and Friday will be fascinating regardless of the outcome. The same cannot be said for the teams in question, however, and I am fully confident they like it best that way.