Everton will shake off the cobwebs on Saturday afternoon when they take on an Arsenal side pushing at the top end of the table.
Sean Dyche’s side are going into the game at the Emirates knowing they have a five-point cushion on the relegation zone.
Ranking EVERY Premier League Hall of Fame Member
Ranking EVERY Premier League Hall of Fame Member
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton |
14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 14 |
But the Toffees will be going into the game on the back of reports claiming The Friedkin Group has secured Premier League approval for their takeover.
A new chapter looks set to be written in Everton’s history and there will be a number of players who will be hoping to make a name for themselves.
One of them will undoubtedly be summer signing Jake O’Brien who has struggled massively for game time since landing on Merseyside.
Struggling for game time in the first-team, O’Brien played in a friendly against Mansfield Town earlier in the week.
The Ireland international has been a regular in the matchday squads under Dyche, but finding his way on to the pitch has been a real issue.
On Friday afternoon, the centre-back posted a number of photos on his Instagram account showing him in training at Finch Farm.
O’Brien very simply captioned the post ‘focused’ in a potential message to his manager ahead of the game against the Gunners.
Jordan Pickford has hailed O’Brien from what he has seen in training with his game time extremely limited.
The Everton goalkeeper is not the only one to sing the Irishman’s praises with Dyche also impressed by O’Brien in training.
- READ MORE: What came out of Everton meeting involving Sean Dyche ahead of the Friedkin Group’s arrival
Should Everton loan O’Brien out in January?
It has been a really difficult start to life in the Premier League for O’Brien after making his £17m move from Lyon.
With the centre-back’s situation looking bleak, O’Brien is receiving interest from France ahead of the January transfer window.
| Competition | Appearances (starts) | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 2 (0) | 34 |
| Carabao Cup | 2 (2) | 180 |
The Toffees are not looking to move O’Brien on just yet but if there is no route into the starting XI then surely he should be sent out to continue his development elsewhere.
Everton fans are desperate to see O’Brien play but there does not seem to be any way in for him.
With the future of Michael Keane up in the air, and even Jarrad Branthwaite, it is a surprise the Irishman has been unable to break into the side.
