Arsenal vs. Everton 2016: Prediction, Injury News, TV Channel For Tuesday’s Premier League Match

Arsenal will go to the top of the Premier League with a win over Everton on Tuesday, but manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that there are no favorites to claim the title this season.

Arsenal continued an unbeaten run that stretches back to the opening day of the campaign when coming from behind to beat Stoke City 3-1 on Saturday. That result put the London club atop of the table for the first time this season, although it proved to be short-lived following Chelsea’s victory over West Brom the following day to retake a three-point edge.

In what is shaping up to be the most competitive title race in recent memory, many are tipping Arsenal to finally end its 13-year wait for a Premier League title. Wenger, though, has suggested that there are plenty of twists and turns still to go with every point potentially crucial.

“Nobody is [the favorite],” he said in his pre-match press conference. “When you look at the league, it’s down to consistency. Every time, when a team is favorite to win, they struggle or they don’t win. It’s very open, very interesting, but it’s also a massive challenge of consistency.

“What is for sure is at the moment every game is like a cup final for everybody. We just came out of a game where we were 1-0 down and for the sixth time in the season, we come back after having been down. So let’s continue to focus on that, on our resilience and on our motivation and after let’s see how far we can go.”

While Saturday’s match turned into a triumph, it has left Arsenal without a key player for the trip to the Goodison Park. Shkodran Mustafi was forced off with a hamstring injury and Wenger confirmed on Monday that the Germany international center-back will miss three weeks of action. Brazilian Gabriel, who had been filling in at right-back in recent weeks, will set to shift into the center following Hector Bellerin’s return to fitness against Stoke.

While Arsenal has been on a fine run of form, Everton has struggled mightily in recent weeks. A fine start to life under new manager Ronald Koeman had some eyeing up a Champions League place and perhaps even an unlikely title challenge. But just one win in its last 10 Premier League matches has left the Merseyside club sliding down the table and questions already being asked about the former Southampton manager.

After a 3-2 defeat at Watford on Saturday, Koeman has conceded that a far better showing is required against Arsenal.

“We know our situation and it’s not all about what happened last Saturday [against Watford],” he said at his press conference on Monday. “There is no time to wait or to sit back because we know the fixtures. We know [on Tuesday] we have to improve and we have to do better than we did last Saturday. We have to prepare the team, put the best 11 on the pitch and get a good result.”

Koeman has suffered another blow in recent days, with the news that summer signing Yannick Bolasie has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury. Muhamed Besic is the only other confirmed absentee, with Koeman confirming he will have the same squad available as he went with at the weekend.

Wenger, meanwhile, stated that Tuesday’s game will come too soon for Aaron Ramsey, who will continue his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Prediction: Everton has a woeful recent record against Arsenal, winning just one of the clubs’ last 19 meetings. And there is nothing from the two teams’ recent performances to suggest that record will improve on Tuesday. The one positive for Everton in recent weeks is that it remains unbeaten at home this season. However, an Arsenal side led by the brilliantly in-form Alexis Sanchez provides the biggest test yet for Koeman’s men.

Predicted Score: Everton 1-2 Arsenal

Kickoff Time: 2:45 p.m. EST
TV Channel: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra