Arsenal v Everton Lineups: Eze Starts, Grealish Out

Arsenal have named Eberechi Eze in place of the injured Bukayo Saka and recalled Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line for this afternoon's Premier League clash with Everton at the Emirates Stadium, while Jack Grealish misses out entirely for the visitors.

Mikel Arteta has made five changes to the side that drew 2-2 at Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, as the Gunners look to capitalise on Aston Villa's 2-1 win over Manchester City earlier today. A victory would take Arsenal to 21 points, level with City at the top of the table.

Arsenal team news: Eze gets his chance

Saka was forced off just 10 minutes into the Bayern game with a muscle injury and faces a spell on the sidelines, with reports suggesting Saka could miss nine games over the next six to eight weeks. Eze, who replaced him in Munich and scored, starts on the left of the attack, with Noni Madueke on the right and Martin Odegaard behind Gyokeres.

Gyokeres is preferred to Kai Havertz after setting up Declan Rice's equaliser at the Allianz Arena. In midfield, Mikel Merino starts ahead of Bruno Guimaraes alongside Rice, while Ben White makes his 200th Arsenal appearance at right-back and Gabriel plays his 200th Premier League game. Myles Lewis-Skelly comes in at left-back, and there is a welcome sight on the bench: Piero Hincapie is back in the squad after recovering from an ankle injury. William Saliba (back) and Christos Tzolis (thigh) remain out.

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Merino, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres. Subs: Kepa, Mosquera, Hincapie, Timber, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Havertz, Dowman.

Everton team news: Grealish and Branthwaite out

David Moyes has made three changes to the Everton side beaten by Chelsea last weekend — the Toffees' first defeat of the season — and the headline news is the absence of Jack Grealish, with Tyrique George coming in on the left wing, as Sports Mole reported from the confirmed teamsheets.

Jarrad Branthwaite also misses out after a heavy collision with Emiliano Martinez last weekend, so Jake O'Brien partners James Tarkowski in central defence. Merlin Rohl moves to right-back, with Brennan Johnson starting on the right wing and former Gunner Ainsley Maitland-Niles dropping to the bench. Thierno Barry leads the line, supported by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Everton XI: Pickford; Rohl, O'Brien, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Armstrong, Garner; Johnson, Dewsbury-Hall, George; Barry. Subs: Travers, King, Maitland-Niles, Keane, Dibling, Norgaard, Alcaraz, Hackney, Graham.

So what does it mean?

City's first defeat of the season has blown the title race open, and Arsenal know a win puts them level on points with the leaders with momentum swinging their way. But they must do it without Saka, their most dangerous attacker, and with Saliba missing at the back, against an Everton side that had been unbeaten until last weekend and specialises in frustrating bigger teams. For Moyes, losing Grealish and Branthwaite on the same afternoon removes both his best ball-carrier and his defensive leader; a point at the Emirates would now feel like a victory.

Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the afternoon Arsenal's squad depth stops being a talking point and becomes a fact. Eze was signed for exactly these weeks — Saka down, the title race live, a stubborn opponent at home — and Gyokeres has been handed the stage to prove he is more than a rotation option. If Arsenal win this without Saka and Saliba, the rest of the league should be very worried. Can Eze seize his moment and send Arsenal level at the top? Let us know in the comments.