Arsenal take on Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon with Mikel Arteta in line to be confirmed as the manager of the North London outfit.

While Carlo Ancelotti is on the brink of an arrival at the Toffees, caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson is expected to be in place in the opposite dugout.

Match preview

Despite an otherwise encouraging week under the guidance of interim boss Freddie Ljungberg, it soon became evident against Manchester City that Arsenal needed to bring in a long-term replacement for Unai Emery.

The expected upturn in results has not materialised, and it has left the Gunners hierarchy moving for Mikel Arteta, who is expected to replace Ljungberg as the main man in the dugout after Saturday's game.

While the appointment of the inexperienced Spaniard has divided opinion, his arrival will be regarded as a fresh start for a team who continue to struggle for any kind of consistency.

Arsenal went into the showdown with City knowing that they could ill afford a poor start, and falling two goals down during the opening quarter effectively ended the game as a contest.

They had their moments during the remainder of a one-sided encounter, but the powers-that-be at the Emirates Stadium were already plotting an approach for Arteta, who was sitting in the opposition dugout.

If, as expected, the 37-year-old is confirmed as Emery's successor on Friday, he will be tasked with improving performances in all areas of the pitch, most notably in defence with clean sheets extremely few and far between.

However, Arteta also needs to establish whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the right man to lead the team on the pitch, despite the Gabon international having only recently replaced Granit Xhaka.

The general consensus is that there will be no quick fix in North London, but that will not stop Arteta from stamping his mark from day one, with Arsenal in danger of falling out of contention for the top four before the halfway mark.

While Arsenal's managerial tinkering has not had the desired effect, the change of voice in the Everton dressing room has worked wonders for a squad which had previously suffered three straight defeats.

After inspiring Everton to a relatively dominant win over Chelsea, Ferguson watched the Toffees secure a share of the spoils at Manchester United last weekend.

Despite having to ride their luck on occasions, Everton were full value for the draw, and the result has put three points between themselves and the relegation zone.

The Merseyside outfit are allegedly at an advanced stage in their bid to bring Ancelotti to the club, although keeping Ferguson in charge for this game may prove to be a blessing in disguise.

The club legend will be targeting a similar performance to the one which got the better Chelsea on December 7, and there is little reason not to expect a full-blooded performance from the home side this weekend.

This squad will have to come through the disappointment of losing out on penalties to Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, but the manner of their late two-goal comeback was further proof of the mentality change at the club.

While there is the possibility that a third outing in less than a week could take its toll, Everton are gathering momentum ahead of what feels like a make-or-break period under Ancelotti.

There will be an eagerness to impress the Italian on this type of occasion - a factor which may play its part in delivering the perfect parting gift for Ferguson, who will return to his role as assistant next week.

Everton Premier League form: WLLLWD
Everton form (all competitions): LLLWDD

Arsenal Premier League form: LDDLWL
Arsenal form (all competitions): LDLWDL

Team News

With Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac both in line to miss out on Saturday, David Luiz should be provided with a recall in the centre of defence.

As a result of Sokratis Papastathopoulos serving a one-match-ban, Shkodran Mustafi could also make a rare appearance in the starting lineup.

A change in system could lead to Lucas Torreira, Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi all being used in midfield, potentially leading to Mesut Ozil dropping down to the substitutes' bench.

Alexandre Lacazette will also hope to feature after spending time among the replacements of late.

Barring any late fitness issues, Ferguson could keep changes down to a minimum, meaning that a returning Gylfi Sigurdsson may be selected on the bench.

Leighton Baines is likely to remain at left-back due to an injury to Lucas Digne, while Mason Holgate should again feature in midfield.

Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Mina, Baines; Bernard, Holgate, Davies, Iwobi; Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Leno; Chambers, Mustafi, Luiz, Maitland-Niles; Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka; Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang

Head To Head

Saturday's encounter will represent the 212th competitive meeting between the two clubs, with Arsenal registering 105 wins in comparison to 61 victories for Everton.

The Gunners have prevailed in seven of the last nine contests, while also scoring a total of 15 goals from their last four triumphs.

However, it was Everton who recorded all three points in the corresponding fixture last season thanks to an early Phil Jagielka goal.

We say: Everton 2-1 Arsenal

Everton have impressed since the temporary appointment of Ferguson, and we are backing the Scot to sign off from his duties with maximum points. While Arsenal are hoping that Arteta can help the team to a quick return to form, gaining points at a rejuvenated Toffees is a tough ask.