Everton will be welcoming former midfielder Mikel Arteta to the Hill Dickinson Stadium for the very first time on Saturday.
The Spaniard will be bringing his Premier League-topping Arsenal to Merseyside as they look to make it back-to-back defeats for Everton against London outfits.
David Moyes and his side suffered a bruising loss against Chelsea last weekend, with no points earned and some serious injuries picked up.
On Thursday evening, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall dropped an injury update as the midfielder all but confirmed he will be sidelined for some time.
Everton will be hoping to rely on their impressive form at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as they remain in search of a big scalp against a top side at the new ground.
Saturday will certainly require a lot to go in their favour as Arteta issues a message ahead of his first visit to the docks.
What Mikel Arteta said about Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium
Ahead of the reunion with his former side, Arteta has hailed Moyes and the influence the Scot has had on his own career.
The game at the weekend will mark Everton’s final home game of 2025, with the next visit to the state-of-the-art stadium coming in the opening days of the New Year.
Speaking to the media on Friday morning, Arteta has admitted there is going to be something strange about his visit to the new stadium.
Everton may need a miracle this weekend! Are Everton going to defy the odds and beat Arsenal this weekend? 😬
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“Strange but very exciting, obviously one of the most iconic stadiums in the Premier League [Goodison]. It’s no longer part of our schedule,” he said.
“We’re going to have the opportunity to win at the incredible stadium that they have built.”
Arteta was full of praise for Goodison Park before the Old Lady was left behind in L4 for the shiny, new home of the Blues on the docks.
Clearly, emotion will be put to one side after the whistle blows as Arteta will be looking to secure a spot at the top of the table for Christmas.
Everton calling on fans to bring the noise against Arsenal
Before the game, Everton are trialling a new entrance routine to try to create a big atmosphere for the coach arrival.
With Dewsbury-Hall out and potentially Jack Grealish too, it is clear that Everton are going to need everything possible from their fans.
Would you prefer a display like this or something like Sunderland showed vs Newcastle?
This is going to be something very special! 🤩
The 1878s will unveil Everton’s first tifo at the Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of kick-off, which is set to look absolutely spectacular.
All the foundations have been laid for a special atmosphere against the league leaders.
It may seem as if the Blues are going into the game with a free hit due to their injury woes, but Moyes will want the fans to push his players throughout the 90 minutes.
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