Arsenal lack decisiveness to sneak past Evertonian draw-specialists

A haul of 13 points from the last 15 on offer has Everton dreaming of the Champions League once, but they have an unenviable record against Arsenal and a difficulty in upgrading their away draws to the wins they so desperately require to make good on a promising campaign. All too often this season the 10/3 Toffees have struggled to marry attacking threat with Moyesian pragmatism on the road and a draw – 13/5 with Coral – may be the best that they can hope for at the Emirates.

Arsenal could be forgiven for offering a sheepish grin as they turned over the Community Chest pile to reveal their very own ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card against Norwich City. In doing so they made good on their threat to dump Spurs out of the top four, but Arsene Wenger will know far more will be required if they are to overcome Everton.

According to stereotype the Gunners mustered just 10 attempts on goal against Norwich despite hogging some 68 per cent of the possession and they’ll need to be more decisive against an Everton side who have yet to ship more than two goals in 19 away outings this term.

The need for decisiveness is further illustrated by the sides’ meetings in recent years, which have been decided by a single goal – if decided at all –  in seven of the last eight clashes. Neither side has managed more than one goal in their last three meetings and under 2.5 goals can backed at 6/5 with Coral.

The Gunners have self sabotage to thank for two of the three draws they’ve posted at the Emirates this term – allowing Fulham to come back from 2-0 down and more recently giving Liverpool a two goal head-start – so the 4/5 about their victory could be a shade skinny against away point-pinchers of Everton’s calibre.

The Toffees own taste for masochism is reserved for away games against the league’s lowliest outfits, with just one victory gained from trips to the grounds of the current Premier League bottom five. When it comes to teams in the top five they’ve avoided defeat on all but two of the eight occasions they’ve met such opposition this term.

Tellingly despite boasting three victories from those clashes against the top five, none of them came away from Goodison Park and the draw at 13/5 looks the most likely result on Tuesday evening.