Arsenal v Everton preview: Saka awaits MRI verdict as Arteta's side chase City — team news and stats
Bukayo Saka had an MRI scan on Friday and Arsenal will know the extent of his thigh injury on Saturday. Mikel Arteta said the early signs are "not good", but Piero Hincapié is back for the visit of David Moyes' Everton.
Arsenal host Everton at the Emirates on Saturday 24 October (15:00 UK) three points behind unbeaten Manchester City. The main story before the game is the man who will not be playing.
Bukayo Saka: the latest
Saka went off about 10 minutes into Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich holding his thigh. On Friday Arteta said the winger was having an MRI scan that afternoon, because fluid around the injury had made it hard to judge how serious it is.
"We will know tomorrow," Arteta said. He admitted that struggling to walk off and having restricted movement "are not good signs", having already said earlier in the week that the injury "doesn't look good at all".
Saka was able to drive himself to training, which Arteta joked about. But Arsenal are bracing for an absence, and the right wing is the problem position. The options are:
- Noni Madueke, who scored the late winner at Nottingham Forest last weekend.
- Eberechi Eze, who replaced Saka in Munich and scored.
- Max Dowman, the 16-year-old who scored against Everton in March.
We looked at each option in detail in Arsenal without Saka, and our full Arsenal injury update has the background.
Team news
Arsenal
- Back: Piero Hincapié has recovered from his ankle problem and is available.
- Out: Bukayo Saka (thigh), William Saliba (back, targeting a return later this autumn), Christos Tzolis (hamstring).
Everton
- David Moyes has an almost fully fit squad. Christian Nørgaard made his debut against Chelsea after a groin injury.
- Jake O'Brien could return at right-back after Ainsley Maitland-Niles was at fault for Chelsea's first goal last weekend.
Form and stats
| Arsenal | Everton | |
|---|---|---|
| League gap | 3 pts behind leaders City | 8th, 3 pts off the top four |
| League defeats | 1 | 1 |
| Last league game | Won 1-0 at Forest | Lost 2-0 v Chelsea |
| Home / away | Won all 3 home games | Unbeaten away (3 draws) |
- Arsenal have won their last six league games at the Emirates, conceding only twice.
- Arsenal have scored two or more goals in five of their last seven games.
- Everton have drawn four league games, joint-most in the division, and have won only one of their last six.
Head-to-head
Everton have not beaten Arsenal in seven meetings, since a 1-0 win at Goodison Park in February 2023, when James Tarkowski scored. Arsenal won 2-0 at the Emirates in March 2026, the day Max Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.
Possible line-ups
Arsenal: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Lewis-Skelly, Rice; Madueke, Ødegaard, Eze; Gyökeres
Everton: Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner, Armstrong; Röhl, Dewsbury-Hall, Grealish; Barry
What to watch
Everton are hard to beat away from home, and Moyes will set up to frustrate. Arsenal's style has been criticised as "boring" this season, but they keep winning at home, and their set pieces remain a weapon against a deep defence. With City playing at Aston Villa at lunchtime, Arsenal could know before kick-off whether a win would take them level on points.
See the Premier League table, the Arsenal team page and our matchweek 8 preview.
FAQ
Is Bukayo Saka playing against Everton? No. He had an MRI on Friday after injuring his thigh against Bayern Munich; Arsenal expect the result on Saturday.
What time is Arsenal v Everton? 15:00 UK time on Saturday 24 October 2026 (22:00 Beijing time) at the Emirates Stadium.
When did Everton last beat Arsenal? February 2023, 1-0 at Goodison Park. Arsenal are unbeaten in seven meetings since.
