Starting My Everton vs Arsenal Lineup Deep Dive
Woke up this morning scrolling through football news when yesterday’s Everton-Arsenal fixture caught my eye. Grabbed my laptop thinking “Man, wonder how these squads actually stack up?” Didn’t trust those quick Twitter comparisons – wanted to dig deeper myself.
First thing? Pulled up both starting XIs on my second monitor. Jotted down Everton’s 4-5-1 first: Pickford in goal, Tarkowski lumbering at CB, McNeil hugging the left. Then Arsenal’s 4-3-3: White at RB, Ødegaard floating behind Saka. Noticed Everton parked practically everyone behind the ball immediately.
The Ugly Comparison Phase
Drew two columns on my notepad like some mad scientist. Left side Everton, right side Arsenal. Started matching positions one-by-one:
- Pickford vs Raya: Both decent shot-stoppers but Raya looked calmer distributing
- Branthwaite vs Saliba: Kid held his own honestly! Saliba just smoother carrying forward
- Onana vs Rice: Like comparing bulldozer to sports car – both effective differently
Got messy around 60th minute when Dyche made three subs at once. Scratched out half my notes when Beto came on – dude completely changed Everton’s attacking shape.
Eureka Moments & Facepalms
Biggest lightbulb? Arsenal’s fullbacks play like inverted wingers! White kept drifting inside leaving space – but Everton never punished it. Meanwhile Everton’s Doucouré kept making late runs nobody tracked.
Laughed when realizing both keepers took goal kicks short despite windy conditions. Like they’d both read the same “playing out from back” manual pre-match.
Wrapping Up My Mad Notes
Took screenshot of my chicken-scratch notebook before tossing it in recycling. Realized Dyche actually got his setup damn right defensively – just zero punch up front. Arteta? His substitutions felt robotic but effective. Whole thing took three coffees and one melted Twix bar stuck in my keyboard.
Final thought? Comparison ain’t about who’s “better” – showed me how managers’ philosophies clash. Everton sitting deep hoping for set pieces versus Arsenal’s possession chess match. Might do more lineup breakdowns if folks find this useful!
