Arsenal have the chance to briefly go ten points clear at the top of the table should they beat Everton this weekend.
But Gunners icon Perry Groves believes any negative energy from fans at the Emirates Stadium could swing the pendulum back in Manchester City’s favour.
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Mikel Arteta’s side extended their lead over the Citizens last week thanks to a gritty 1-0 win away at Brighton.
As for City, who have a game in hand over the north Londoners, they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest after being pegged back twice in the second half.
The result means Arsenal’s quest in ending their 22-year wait for a first top-flight title is in their own hands with just eight fixtures to go – leading Alan Pardew to state there will be asterisk next to their name if they do so.
They welcome a defensively resilient Everton to the capital in Saturday’s 5:30pm kick-off – before City battle West Ham at the London Stadium at 8pm – with the game live on talkSPORT.
Will be Toff to beat
Only Arsenal and City boast a better defensive record than the Toffees in the Premier League, with David Moyes’ men shipping in just 33 goals.
Arsenal fans have been guilty of exuding nervousness and anxiety from the stands this season, which has filtered through to the players on the pitch.
And Groves has pre-warned Gooners that Everton, who sit eighth in the table, will represent another tough challenge where chances could be hard to come by.
In the latest episode of talkSPORT’s Inside Gooners, the two-time First Division champion has implored supporters to stay behind the team as any sign of angst from the stands could lead to dropped points – ultimately handing the edge to City.
Starting off the chat, Gunners fan Clive Palmer stressed the Everton fixture is the game he is most ‘worried’ about.
Palmer then said: “We have a month off nearly from another league game, so we set our stall out with this game, we say, ‘Bang! There you go, we are now ahead, what are you going to do?’
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“You have to wear that now for a month, so I think it’s critical, if we show any vulnerability and drop points, we bring them [Man City] back in psychologically, so this is the one for me.
“This is the game of the season, I honestly feel that. Once we get past this, obviously the games against Man City are coming up [Carabao Cup final and league match on April 19], but this is the one to create that gap.”
Gunner need your support
Groves then had his say on the need for Arsenal to claim all three points – and the requirement he expects of those attending the clash.
He remarked: “The fans have a massive, massive part to play, because they [Everton] are so well structured defensively with David Moyes.
“They’ve got [Kieran] Dewsbury-Hall who is having the season of his life, who gives them that threat going forward – a bit of creativity.
“They will come and they will sit, they will sit and go with a 5-4-1, whether they play Beto or [Thierno] Barry upfront, and they will be difficult to break down.
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“And if we don’t score in the first 20-25 minutes, the energy of the Emirates crowd and our fans, is going to have a massive part to play.
“I’ve said it’s going to play a massive part all season, and the Chelsea game [2-1 win on Match 1], it was good.
“Emmanuel Petit [who attended the Chelsea match], he got something in his head because he heard about the negativity and the anxiety against Man United and Liverpool.
“I think he had something about that in his head, and when I spoke to people who were lucky enough to be there, they went, ‘No, it didn’t go like that, it stayed positive and there was the ‘Come On.’
“That’s exactly what we’re going to need, so it’s going to be a bit clunky, it’s going to be sticky, it’s going to be horrible, it’s not going to be free-flowing.
“Corners and set-pieces, it’ll be like WWE, because they are like we are, so if I was a referee, I’ll just be going, ‘Get on with it.'”
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What’s Arsenal and Everton’s Premier League form like?
Arsenal go into their meeting with Everton off the back of three successive league victories against Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Brighton.
But their form has been indifferent in 2026, having lost to Manchester United when leading, while also being pegged back in draws away at Brentford and Wolves.
And they were also held to consecutive 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in January which allowed City to close the gap on the leaders.
As for Everton, they are bidding to win three league matches in a row for the first time this campaign having swept aside Newcastle and Burnley in their previous two fixtures.
Despite grinding out a 0-0 draw at the Emirates last term, they have struggled to pick up points away at Arsenal since they moved into their new home in 2006.
Their only win at the Emirates came in April 2021 – their first league win at Arsenal since January 1996.