Everton haven’t always experienced the best of times away to the Arsenal, but after their performance earlier on this season at the Emirates’ they can travel to London full of confidence going into Saturday’s FA Cup Sixth Round tie.
The last encounter: Arsenal 1-1 Everton – Sunday, December 8, 2013
Mesut Özil’s 80th minute goal looked to have handed Everton nothing for their fantastic performance back in November, that was until four minutes later when Gerard Deulofeu struck into the top corner of the Arsenal goal to equalise and secure the point the Toffees deserved at the very least.
The last fixture in the Cup: Everton 2-0 Arsenal – Saturday, January 3, 1981
The third ever encounter in the FA Cup and second at Goodison Park between these two teams; 53 years after the second FA Cup fixture between the two. The two goals coming through an own goal from Kenny Sansom and Mick Lyons.
The last Everton win against Arsenal: Everton 1-0 Arsenal – Sunday, March 18, 2007
A last minute Andy Johnson half volley to Jens Lehmanns’ bottom corner secures a last-gasp win for the Blues in the falling hail and remarkably, almost seven years have passed since that victory.
The last Everton win away to Arsenal: Arsenal 1-2 Everton – Saturday, January 20, 1996
The last Everton victory at Arsenal was at Highbury under Joe Royle and with goals from Graham Stuart and Andrei Kanchelskis the Blues secured a vital three points in the 1995/96 season.
Everton/Arsenal fixture that stuck with me: Everton 2-1 Arsenal – Saturday, October 19, 2002
The Toffees brought an end to an unbeaten run for Arsenal, that was later eclipsed the next season by the ‘Invisibles’; through goals from Tomasz Radzinski and Wayne Rooney – announcing himself to the world in spectacular fashion; becoming the youngest Everton goal-scorer and youngest Premier League goal-scorer. Freddie Ljunberg put the Gunners ahead but the comeback put an end to Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten run in the league. The reason this game stuck with me is not because I was at the game, I didn’t even watch it, I didn’t even like football at this point in my life but the idea that someone only just over double the age of myself could have such an impact showed me the magic and excitement of football and of Everton.
And now…
In the 95 games Arsenal have played hosts in this fixture they have won two thirds totalling 63 victories and in the 189 matches between the two the Gunners have won just under half, but really, what does what has happened in the past matter?