Here is everything you should know about where the 4 players from the Arsenal bench during their last outing at Everton, are at now

It’s been seven months since Arsenal last played Everton. It was the last matchday of the 2023/24 EPL season, and Arsenal still had a glimmer of hope of lifting the title, with Manchester City needing a win of their last match against West Ham United.

With both matches taking place at the same time, City soon took the lead through Phil Foden in only the second minute. Their lead was doubled quarter-of-an-hour later, when Foden struck again. West Ham then pulled one back through Mohammed Kudus in the 42nd minute, giving Arsenal fans more to cheer for than their very own.

However, the ever-dependable Rodri struck just before the hour mark to restore the Cityzens’ two-goal advantage. It was quite plain-sailing for Pep Guardiola’s men from there, and the match eventually ended 3-1.

Arsenal, meanwhile, struggled to breakdown Everton’s defense. In fact, it was the visiting team from Merseyside who got the lead through Idrissa Gueye in the 40th minute. However, the Gunners equalized a couple of minutes later through Takehiro Tomiyasu, making it 1-1 going into the second half. Just like when the fans thought that Arsenal wouldn’t even be getting a consolation win, Kai Havertz found the back of the net, one minute before the regulation time, to put the Gunners 2-1 up.

Arsenal finished 2 points behind Manchester City in the table, finishing runners-up for the second year running. However, in this article we take a look at the 4 players from Arsenal bench who are currently not at the club.

Aaron Ramsdale

Aaron Ramsdale lost his starting role as a goalkeeper ever since David Raya arrived on loan from Brentford. He was then used only for Cup games of less importance. With Raya then joining the Gunners on a permanent transfer, Ramsdale left for Southampton in the 2024/25 season, and has been a regular starter there.

Emile Smith Rowe

Had it not been for injuries, Emile Smith Rowe might have gone on to become another key player at the club like Bukayo Saka. But the Englishman’s fitness largely affected his game time, and the Englishman, after 6 years as pro at Arsenal, joined Fulham on a permanent transfer. He starts regularly for them.

Fabio Vieira

There was a lot of hype and excitement around when Fabio Vieira signed for Arsenal from Porto back in 2022. However, the young Portuguese never really lived up to his potential/hype, eventually only coming off off the bench for the club, and starting games of less importance. He has now been loaned out to Porto.

Eddie Nketiah

Eddie Nketiah was always a decent backup striker for Arsenal through the years. However, in the 2023/24 season he did get a boatload of game time in the English Premier League. While it looked like he might stay as the main striker for the North London club for another year, Nketiah

Here is the top 5 list of most goals scored by a defender in the English Premier League since the year 2020

Goal-scoring defenders is nothing new in modern football. Ever since Ronald Koeman and Fernando Hierro revolutionized the same in the 1990s, many a defenders have shown eagerness to find themselves on the scoresheet.

Although defenders scoring often isn’t that common in the English Premier League, here are the top 5 defenders who have scored most goals in the EPL since the year 2020.

Gabriel Magalhaes

The unsurprising name that tops the list. Gabriel Magalhaes of Arsenal joined the North London club in 2020, and immediately settled in the league like fish in water. The Brazilian, after occasional concentration lapses in his initial days, soon matured and became a rock in the Arsenal’s defense. Slowly he became a regular scorer for Arsenal in corners, and especially from 2023 to the current day, Gabriel has been given special attention by opposition defenders in a bid to prevent him from scoring his trademark header (a weird vertical leap after losing his marker).

Gabriel, since he joined has scored 16 goals for Arsenal, and tops the list, 2 more than the defender at second place.

Virgil van Dijk

Another menacing defender in corners. One of Liverpool’s greatest ever players is an accurate header of the ball too. Despite having played 13 matches more than Gabriel Magalhaes, the Dutchman has a goal lesser than him.

Nevertheless, 15 goals is an impressive haul for a defender, also thanks to accurate corners from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and the lot.

Lewis Dunk

The ever-depenable Lewis Dunk has been Brighton and Hove Albion through and through. The Englishman joined the club way back in 2010, after having risen through its youth ranks. To date he has made over 400 league appearances.

Since 2020, the massive defender has scored 13 goals for Brighton, although playing 18 games more than Virgil van Dijk and 31 more than Gabriel Magalhaes.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

There was a time when Trent Alexander-Arnold was scoring free kicks for fun. Although the numbers began dwindling after 2021, the Englishman continues to find the back of the next occasionally while also setting up a decent number of assists.

Having played the most number of matches in this list, Alexander-Arnold has scored 13 goals in 182 games for Liverpool.

Michael Keane

Product of the Manchester United youth academy, Michael Keane joined Everton in 2017 after excelling for a couple of years at Burnley. The Englishman has made over 190 league appearances for Everton as of now.

Keane has made the least appearances among the defenders in the list. In the 128 apperances he has made, Keane has scored 12 goals for Everton.

All about how Liverpool XI looked when Virgil van Dijk made his debut for the club

It’s been over 6 years since Virgil van Dijk signed for Liverpool. In arguably one of the greatest transfers in the history of the club, the Dutchman has revolutionized the Reds’ defence.

After a high-profile move from Southampton, van Dijk made his club debut for Liverpool in the FA Cup in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on the 5th of January, 2018. Liverpool took the lead in the 35th minute through a James Milner penalty.

22 minutes into the second half, Everton equalized through a perfectly placed goal from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 67th minute. With just 6 minutes to go in the second half, it was the big Dutchman who stepped up to score the winner for Liverpool on his debut. The match ended 2-1 in Liverpool’s favor, as they advanced to the next round.

Here is a look at how Liverpool XI looked when Virgil van Dijk made his debut.

GK – Loris Karius

It was the German’s second year at Liverpool. He would go on to be a part of the club until 2022, despite a very forgetful Chaampions League final night in 2018, and a couple of loan spells between 2018 and 2021. Karius left to Newcastle United in 2022, and is currently a free agent now.

RB – Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez joined Liverpool from Charlton Athletic in 2015, and has remained a part of the club ever since.

CB – Joel Matip

Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk went on to form one of the most formidable center back pairings in their club’s history. Matip remained a part of the club until the end of the 2023/24 season, before announcing his retirement from the sport on the 12th of October, 2024.

LB – Andrew Robertson

2017/18 was Andrew Robertson’s first year at Liverpool, and to this day is one of the most integral players in Liverpool.

CDM – Emre Can

This was Emre Can’s last year at Liverpool. The veteran midfielder joined Juventus for the 2018/19 season. He currently plays for Borussia Dortmund, and captains them.

CM – James Milner

The ageless James Milner would go on to be a key part of Liverpool until 2023. After 8 years at the club, the Englishman joined Brighton and Hove Albion in 2023, and he currently plays for them.

CAM – Adam Lallana

Adam Lallana was a dependable midfielder under Jurgen Klopp, and produced some iconic moments at the club, and the late winner against Norwich back in 2016 tops it. Lallana went on to be a part of Liverpool until 2020. He then joined Brighton and Hove Albion playing for the Seagulls for 4 years. He joined his boyhood club Southampton again in 2024.

LW – Sadio Mane

One of the greatest attackers in Liverpool’s history, Sadio Mane was only in his second year at Liverpool. He would go on to play for them until 2022, before a high-profile move to Bayern Munich. He now plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, having joined them in 2023.

RW – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

The talented Englishman never had it easy in his football career due to injuries. After 6 years at Liverpool, starting in 2017, he left for Besiktas in 2023, where he currently plays.

ST – Roberto Firmino

The ever-dependable Roberto Firmino will go down as one of the greatest strikers in Liverpool’s history. After 8 years with the club, Firmino left Liverpool for Al-Ahli in 2023.