Arsenal's Christmas Top Spot on the Line at Everton

League leaders Arsenal travel to face Everton at The Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, December 20th. Arsenal aims to secure their position at the top of the table on Christmas Day, a feat they have not historically achieved. The team's recent narrow 3-2 victory over Wolves, marked by an own goal, allowed them to maintain a two-point lead over Manchester City. This match is crucial for Arsenal to solidify their hold on the premier position.

Everton, meanwhile, has struggled to make their new stadium a fortress, having lost two of their last four home games. Their record against Champions League participants is particularly poor, losing all five previous encounters. Manager David Moyes faces a challenging situation with injuries and AFCON absences depleting his squad. Despite these setbacks, Everton draws hope from their historical performance against Arsenal at home, having won only once in their last seven meetings.

Both sides are grappling with significant injury lists. Arsenal's Ben White is out for a month, and Kai Havertz also faces a spell on the sidelines. Everton will be without Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall due to a hamstring injury, and several other players are unavailable due to AFCON commitments. The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 ET / 20:00 BST.