Sean Dyche has praised Arsenal and Mikel Arteta for the club’s progress in recent years, ahead of his Everton side’s clash with the Gunners.

Arsenal are set to return from the international break with a game against Everton at Goodison Park, a ground which hasn’t brought Mikel Arteta’s side many positive results in recent years.

Following the 1-0 defeat in 2019 under Unai Emery and the 0-0 draw later that year under Freddie Ljungberg, Arteta has returned to Goodison Park three times in the Premier League – and lost on all three occasions.

It’s a record the team certainly need to try and change, and Sunday’s match would be the perfect time to do so.

Despite Everton’s strong recent record against Arsenal at home, manager Sean Dyche had some praise for the Gunners in his programme notes.

“After a season of progress last year in which they went close to winning the league title, they have built on that strong foundation with investment over the summer and the additions of several high-quality players to their squad,” Dyche wrote.

“Mikel and Arsenal Football Club have invested heavily and engrained a style and identity on their group over the three-and-a-half years he has had at the club as manager and we know we must be at our best in order to achieve a positive result today.”

But Dyche went on to suggest the team feel they can get another win anyway, saying: “We have full belief in ourselves that we can [get a positive result], as we managed here last season in my first game in charge of the Club.”

One potential boost for Arsenal is the availability of Gabriel Jesus, who has often proven the scourge of Everton in previous seasons.

Playing for Manchester City, Jesus scored eight goals and assisted one in 10 games against the Toffees. But due to the timing of his injury last season, he’s yet to face them with Arsenal.

Jesus’ record against Everton was so formidable that he would come into the City team for the fixture even if he hadn’t started the previous matches.

For example, from 2019/20 to 2020/21, Jesus was benched in three of the four games preceding City’s four Everton fixtures. Yet on all four occasions he started the Everton match, scoring four times.

Arteta may look to get the same output from Jesus on Sunday, with the 26-year-old yet to start a game this season.