04 February 2023 , 08:00
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Saturday's lunchtime kick-off is not just a meeting between title favourites and relegation candidates, but also a clash of ideologies between rival managers.
Everton, languishing in 19th, have a new manager at the helm as Arsenal come calling at Goodison Park, with Sean Dyche facing a baptism of fire against the runaway league leaders. The Englishman is renowned for his no-nonsense style of management, which was a successful formula throughout his 10-year stint at overachievers Burnley.
This approach means Dyche rarely minces his words and is as straight-shooting a boss as any in the Premier League, leading to many a contrast of opinions with his counterparts, most infamously Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp. Towards the end of last season, Dyche was typically frank as he refuted Mikel Arteta's "cup final" theory.
With 10 games remaining in March 2022 as the Gunners targeted a return to the Champions League via a top-four finish, Arteta declared: "Every game for us is a final." The phrase is a classic one used by managers and players across all levels of the football pyramid to emphasise the importance of fixtures during the run-in.
Yet Dyche views things very differently and sees little use in upping the pressure on his players by telling them they have a string of do-or-die games coming up. "I wasn't aware that Mikel Arteta gave them [Arsenal] the 'cup final' mentality," Dyche said. "My view is probably a bit more level because if you say, 'we've got 11 cup finals', do you know how difficult it is to win one?
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"We'll mainly concentrate on playing the games and going hard in each one of them, that would be my personal opinion. I'm definitely not questioning Mikel but my opinion of my team is to keep going hard, keep working hard, keep doing the right things, and add in the detail. That's what I'll be focussing on."
What is your scoreline prediction for Everton versus Arsenal? Have your say in the comments!
Mikel Arteta and Sean Dyche will come face to face again at Goodison Park on Saturday (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)So, while Arteta may already be starting to wonder if Arsenal have 19 'cup finals' standing between them and the Premier League title, Dyche will take a different stance regarding the relegation scrap. The Toffees have won just three of their 20 top-flight games this season and Frank Lampard was sacked after a dismal run of eight defeats in nine games in all competitions.
Dyche has a proven track record of keeping struggling teams in the Premier League from his time at Turf Moor and is also tasked with getting the disillusioned Toffees faithful back onside. Everton fans have vented their fury with club chiefs in recent weeks and staged sit-in protests at Goodison Park to display their anger with decisions from on high.
Victory over - or even a draw with - Arsenal would go some way to allaying the angst that has engulfed Everton. So, Dyche may not view Saturday's crunch fixture as a cup final, but there is no denying its significance.