Share
By Johnny Edward.
Everton forward, Alex Iwobi, is expected to make his 125th appearance for Everton on Wednesday (today) against Arsenal and will hope to score his 50th career goal in the encounter, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Iwobi, who is ranked the fourth most creative player in the Premier League this season, has scored 49 goals for both club and club and country in the eight years since he made his first-team debut for the Gunners and the Super Eagles.
He scored 10 goals in 58 appearances for Nigeria since he played his first game for the Eagles against DR Congo in 2015, while at Arsenal he notched 31 goals in 205 games for the Gunners, where he won the FA Cup and Community Shield.
Since he joined Everton in a five-year deal on Deadline Day from Arsenal in 2019 for a fee in the region of £35m, Iwobi has bagged eight goals in 124 games.
While also looking to avenge their defeat at Goodison Park just over three weeks ago, Arsenal are aware that a win over the Toffees would open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, taking the Gunners to 60 points from 25 games.
They would be matching a club record, having also racked up 60 points from 25 in 2003/04 and 2007/08.
Arsenal have won 99 of their 203 league games against Everton — drawn 43 and lost 61 and can become the first team in English league history to achieve 100 victories against an opponent.
They lost 1-0 at Everton at the start of February, in what was Sean Dyche’s first game as Toffees boss.
Dyche, however, has called on his players to be bold and demonstrate their steel ahead of the challenge.
“We have to go into these games with a belief in what we do and it’s mainly the consistency – the consistency of performance home and away,” he said.
“It’s simple when we talk about [finding more goals] but it’s not easy to deliver.
“The mentality of the players has been good. We’ve got to ask questions, create different ways of affecting games and that’s what we’re looking to do but, while we’re doing that, not lose sight of the fact that the defensive shape has to still be good.
“The Premier League is unforgiving at both ends of the pitch and we’ve shown good signs of the side being tighter and more structured in its defending.”