Roberto Martinez wowed by Gareth Barry's endurance
Roberto Martinez knew Everton would miss Gareth Barry's presence against Arsenal this weekend, but even he was surprised by just how influential he has been in the Toffees' engine room.
The 35-year-old midfielder will sit out both the Gunners' visit to Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime and the trip to Manchester United after the international break having been dismissed for the second time this season against Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Martinez has started Barry in each league fixture so far and, in his absence, his Everton colleagues may find their stamina tested against Arsene Wenger's side.
Only Bournemouth's Andrew Surman has covered more distance in the top flight than Barry, and Martinez admitted such an achievement was impressive given his player's age.
"It's a very interesting stat," he said. "I don't think many people, when you watch Gareth play, would come up with that stat.
"Gareth covers the ground, not just the amount of running that he does, it's how clever he is with his tactical position and the way he covers other players and reads the game. At the age of 35, to be able to have the physicality to do that is impressive.
"Of course we are going to miss him. We've only got two players who have been ever-present in the Premier League and he is one of those.
"But, in the same way, with an international break in the middle, we are going to use it to regenerate him and give him a proper break to make sure he's as strong as he can be for the final part of the campaign. We're going to get the rewards of that."
While that statistic made for a pleasant surprise, the fact the Toffees have won only one of their previous 18 fixtures against Arsenal makes for grim reading for Evertonians.
Martinez was at the helm for that solitary success in April 2014 and would have followed that up with another home triumph four months on had his side not conceded twice in the final seven minutes to draw 2-2.
"I don't think there's any secret - Arsenal are a very, very good team," Martinez added.
"They've shown over the years since Arsene Wenger has been there the way they are as a team. They are a very technical side and based in possession. They are a side that are built to win titles.
"I don't think it's a statistic that would surprise you. I'm looking at the last four, five games that we've played and we've been in every single game. We've created two or three very good performances at Goodison.
"We had a two-goal lead at Goodison and couldn't hold on and we concede in the last minute, before that we had a strong win, we kept a clean sheet and were very superior. At the same time, the only defeat that we've had this season away from home has been at The Emirates.
"You're going to see a game played in a very similar manner and the margins are going to be small. Both teams have a very strong technical approach and I expect a very close game. I don't think that stat's going to have much significance at the weekend."
Wenger has conceded Arsenal's current form means they are looking over their shoulder in the Premier League - even if he insists his side can still win the title.
The Gunners have crashed out of the FA Cup and Champions League in the last week and are on a run of one win in eight games across all competitions.
If results go against them this weekend, Wenger's side could be 14 points adrift of league leaders Leicester.
The worst-case scenario for Wenger would be wins for both Manchester City and West Ham - which could see Arsenal drop out of the top four altogether.
The Frenchman reaches 20 years in charge this September and has never finished outside the top four - with some suggesting the financial benefits of qualifying for the Champions League has protected him against losing his job during a barren nine-year spell without silverware.
But now Wenger, whose contract expires at the end of next season, admits it is a real possibility and will be keeping a wary eye on the chasing pack.
"Yes of course. It's very tight," he replied when asked if he needs to be looking over his shoulder at the likes of City, West Ham and Manchester United.
"But I believe the Premier League is far from over. We also have to look behind us because things can change very quickly. We want to move forward, but I'm conscious that our position is not secure, even where we are.
"Things will change until the end of the season, that's for sure. We have to take care of our own destiny, and that's by producing the performances we expect from ourselves.
"We are in a position where we hope for the best. I agree that a negative result (at Everton) would be very bad for us, but we focus on a positive result. We know now is the time for us to produce the result we want."
Arsenal failed in their bid to win three successive FA Cups when they were knocked out by Watford in their quarter-final meeting last Sunday.
That was followed up by a sixth-straight Champions League elimination at the round of 16 stage as they lost 5-1 on aggregate to Barcelona.
And Wenger believes the strength throughout the Premier League is continuing to have an affect on how English teams deal with continental competitions - with Manchester City the only representatives in the quarter-final stages of the Champions League and Liverpool the sole remaining club in the Europa League.
When asked about the lack of Premier League clubs in Friday's draws, Wenger said: "It's not good enough.
"But it's very difficult to give you a rational explanation. The Premier League is very demanding. Overall, the Premier League will be even stronger next season, that's for sure, again.
"Maybe the Premier League has become the Champions League for the English teams. That's what is happening. Every game is so difficult in the Premier League that we maybe suffer a bit in Europe. Some teams who play in the Europa League prioritise the Premier League."
Source: PAR
