Will Everton's Formidable Away Form Throw Open Title Race?

ByMatthew Hobbs

BBC Sport journalist

As a man pinch 745 games managed, David Moyes knows his measurement amended than astir about nan Premier League block, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to winning distant games.

Since nan 62-year-old returned to Merseyside for a 2nd spell 14 months ago, Everton person won nan astir matches connected nan roadworthy of immoderate Premier League broadside different than Arsenal.

The Toffees are unbeaten distant from location since mid-December and adjacent recreation to Emirates Stadium connected Saturday pinch a grounds of 4 wins successful their past 5 distant matches.

BBC Sport examines whether Everton could daze nan convention leaders and respire caller life into nan title race.

When Everton locomotion retired astatine nan Emirates, it will beryllium 428 days since Moyes returned arsenic head pinch nan nine 1 constituent supra nan relegation zone.

They will statesman nan play sitting eighth successful nan Premier League and conscionable 5 points disconnected 5th - a position which could consequence successful Champions League football.

Qualifying for immoderate shape of European shot would correspond a titanic turnaround for a nine truthful precocious embroiled successful points deductions and relegation battles and, while Hill Dickinson Stadium is made for European nights, it is Everton's distant shape that has propelled their climb.

They are unbeaten successful 9 of their past 10 distant games and person mislaid erstwhile connected nan roadworthy since October.

Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman believes they tin airs a superior trial of Arsenal's title credentials.

If nan Blues were to negociate a seismic daze against nan leaders, Manchester City could adjacent backmost wrong 4 points by winning connected Saturday nighttime astatine West Ham United - and pinch a crippled still successful hand.

"I deliberation successful nan past, you spell location and you're a small spot worried and dream you mightiness beryllium capable to get a result," he said.

"This twelvemonth it's a spot different. You're going to nan squad 7 points clear astatine nan apical of nan array but I deliberation it's Arsenal that'll beryllium much worried.

"I deliberation they will beryllium tense going to this crippled knowing that they person to support connected winning each of nan games and realising that this isn't a pushover."

Everton's 1-0 triumph astatine Arsenal successful 2021 remains their only Premier League triumph successful 29 attempts successful this distant fixture, though improvements connected nan roadworthy this play person besides included wins astatine nan toughest grounds.

When Everton faced Manchester United successful November, they had won erstwhile astatine Old Trafford since 1992.

And yet, contempt Idrissa Gueye's bizarre dismissal, Everton rallied to triumph 1-0 for Moyes' first triumph distant from location against his erstwhile employers.

When Everton travelled to Villa Park successful January, Unai Emery's broadside had won their past 11 location matches successful each competitions and were 3rd successful nan table. Moyes' men erstwhile again enacted an improbable distant win.

And successful their astir caller distant match, nan Toffees won astatine a Newcastle United broadside who came truthful adjacent to beating Barcelona astatine St James' Park connected Tuesday night.

Osman said: "So actually, Arsenal is simply a fixture now erstwhile you look astatine it, that is an opportunity for Everton. They'll beryllium assured they tin get something, pinch nary existent unit going distant from home."

Results connected nan roadworthy alert successful nan look of Everton's struggles astatine nan Hill Dickinson this season, though Moyes' attack is simply amended suited to playing distant from home.

A broadside who for illustration to run without nan ball, Everton mean nan lowest possession successful distant games of immoderate Premier League squad (39.3%), while only Arsenal person conceded less goals and kept much cleanable sheets.

Crucially for a travel to northbound London, nan Toffees are adept astatine defending from set-plays.

Twenty 1 of Arsenal's 59 Premier League goals this play person been scored via a area aliases free-kick but Everton are nan only Premier League broadside yet to concede from a set-piece distant from location successful nan existent campaign.

Moyes enjoyed a maiden triumph astatine nan Emirates connected his astir caller sojourn pinch West Ham successful 2023 and, while it would stay a immense daze for him to oversee a repetition consequence against a squad who person mislaid conscionable erstwhile astatine location this season, Osman believes that Everton's distant look tin unit immoderate benignant of result.

"Everton person a very chopped measurement of playing," he said. "They extremity you going done nan mediate of nan pitch. They're snappy successful location and they springiness you nan wide areas.

"Everton person mostly had astatine slightest 3 centre-halves successful nan backmost four, sometimes moreover four, who emotion to spell and triumph nan shot from crosses.

"Teams tin sprout from distance, but they're trusting Jordan Pickford. When you've sewage a goalkeeper playing arsenic good arsenic he has done for specified a agelong spell - he's sewage a highlight reel of prevention of nan seasons himself."

Another cardinal constituent to Everton's resilience connected nan roadworthy has been nan outstanding shape of individual players specified arsenic Pickford, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye, but Osman believes that James Garner deserves peculiar praise.

The 24-year-old has played astatine right-back and left-back this play but has shone successful caller matches successful his preferred cardinal midfield role.

Garner comfortably tops nan Toffees' metrics this play for everything from touches and tackles, to chances created and expected assists.

"Garner is simply a throwback, and a very pleasant one, to an all-round midfielder," said Osman, who made 437 appearances for nan nine successful midfield betwixt 2003 and 2016.

"He wants to defend, wants to beryllium competitive, wants to get from container to box, wants to create goals. I americium specified an admirer of his.

"He sets nan reside for Everton successful and retired of possession. He's 1 of nan first names, if not nan first sanction connected David Moyes' squad sheet."

Osman believes that different standout capacity against an Arsenal midfield featuring Declan Rice tin thief cement Garner's ain prospects of a first England call-up.

"I would beryllium amazed if he's not successful this adjacent England squad," he added.

"I'd reason his form's been amended than that of immoderate different midfielder successful nan role, and I'd surely put him up against Declan Rice successful that conversation, and I deliberation Rice is outstanding.

"I'd beryllium really amazed if Thomas Tuchel doesn't person a look astatine him because he besides offers specified a scope of positions arsenic well, which erstwhile you're looking astatine tourney football, is vital."