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Arsenal’s team is seriously young. It’s their youngest for a league game since May 2011, and that doesn’t really count because it was the last game of the season and nobody seemed overly bothered about it.
This is Arsenal's youngest starting line up in a Premier League game since May 2011 against Fulham.
Related: Fulham 2-2 Arsenal | Premier League match report
Talking of Mesut Ozil, here’s Andrew Anthony on the German controversy-magnet:
Related: Mesut Özil, the playmaker who spoke out when football stayed silent
Freddie Ljungberg has a chat. He says Ozil has a foot injury “but wouldn’t have been in the team anyway”:
We know Mikel’s going to be the manager so it’s a bit of a special situation but we’re going to do everything we can to get a good result. We’ve spoken a little bit, we haven’t spoken too much, but of course he’s here, watching, and he wants the best for the team. For me, what I’ve seen from Everton they’re a little bit old-style. They play very direct, a lot of long-balls, a lot of fighting so I wanted to put a team out there that would work hard and fight to win the second ball if needed.
Confirmation just in that Duncan Ferguson will remain at Everton as part of Carlo Ancelotti’s coaching team.
Here’s the new Everton manager on Ferguson: “The work Duncan has done is a great credit to him. Strong organisation, strong discipline and the right motivation are some of the key ingredients in football and I’m pleased he will be part of my backroom team moving forward.”
Three changes for Everton, for whom Delph, Sigurdsson and Sidibe come in, and Keane, Bernard and Coleman drop out. Arsenal meanwhile make five changes, a couple of them injury- or suspension-enforced, with Sokratis, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Pepe and Ozil all dropping out, while Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli all start in an intriguing line-up.
Everton: Pickford, Sidibe, Holgate, Mina, Digne, Davies, Delph, Iwobi, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Baines, Keane, Tosun, Bernard, Stekelenburg, Coleman, Kean.
Arsenal: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Chambers, Luiz, Saka, Torreira, Xhaka, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli, Aubameyang. Subs: Lacazette, Pepe, Mustafi, Martinez, Mavropanos, Willock, Guendouzi.
Referee: Kevin Friend.
⚠️ TEAM NEWS! ⚠️
4️⃣ changes
↪️ Digne, Sidibe, Delph and Sigurdsson return#EVEARS pic.twitter.com/TmXvopTkZ8
Here’s our news story on Ancelotti’s appointment, which was announced at precisely 11.20am this morning:
Related: Everton appoint Carlo Ancelotti as manager to succeed Marco Silva
Excited to share the news that I am joining Everton FC. I am delighted to be back in the Premier League and to be part of this historic club. Thank you for your trust in me. #WelcomeMrAncelotti #EFC #COYB pic.twitter.com/13yhM5iHnK
Hello world!
Welcome to the big-club, former-player-turned-caretaker-manager, new-appointment-in-the-stands-for-this-one derby! Carlo Ancelotti, whose four-and-a-half-year contract at Everton, apparently worth some £11.5m a season, was announced but moments ago, will cast his expert eye over his new charges this afternoon before completing legal formalities and being announced as the club’s new manager. Meanwhile Mikel Arteta’s arrival at Arsenal was confirmed yesterday, but his will be a watching brief today while Freddie Ljungberg takes charge of his final game.
| Introducing the new manager of Everton Football Club, @MrAncelotti! #WelcomeMrAncelotti pic.twitter.com/zNNoix8H5R
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