Mikel Arteta has previewed Arsenal's eagerly awaited clash with Everton, which takes place tomorrow, Saturday, at the Emirates Stadium in the eighth round of the Premier League.

The defending champions go into the match second on 18 points, three behind leaders Manchester City and their perfect record. Everton sit eighth with 10 points.

At his press conference today, Friday, Arteta hailed the experience of Everton manager David Moyes. Asked whether he agreed that Moyes is the king of the Premier League, he told Sky Sports: "I don't know whether he is the king or what, but he is certainly someone we all look up to, not only for his longevity, but for what he represents for the game and the Premier League. I know the man behind the manager, and that is the most important thing, and I know the manager well, he is a wonderful manager."

On the possibility of handing young forward Dowman a start, he said: "There is something inevitable that takes you back to that memory and the feeling of that moment (when he scored against Everton last season), that is with us and will remain in that stadium for a long time. He is training, and every time he gets a chance to play he proves that he is a player capable of influencing the match, so he will certainly get minutes to play. It would be a wonderful story if he started against Everton, especially if we win the match."

Everton, he warned, are a tricky opponent. "I know David well, and the way he organises his team, and the quality they have collectively and individually. It is no coincidence that they had not lost before their last match, because they are a very good team, and we know that too because our recent meetings with them have always been very difficult."

Turning to Eberechi Eze's reaction in the Bayern Munich game, Arteta said: "I am very happy with how Ebs reacted to the previous match and his impact on the team and the performance he gave."

Why did he make Eze laugh before sending him on as a substitute? "I think that stays between me and him. If you are angry, I don't think we will get the best out of him, when he laughs, he is his natural self and he can express himself, and I think that is the way we get the best version of him."

Arteta also praised the goalscoring touch of his midfielders. "Martin Odegaard has already scored some goals, Bruno Guimaraes has done the same, and so has Declan Rice. That is what we need given their positions, they have the freedom and the ferocity to break through the opponent's ranks and do damage."

Defenders Jurrien Timber and Ben White drew praise too. "We are very fortunate to have them both together. The way they have started the season is really positive, they give us a lot."

Would Bukayo Saka's durability dip or would he be overworked after so many matches at the age of twenty-five? Arteta brushed the concern aside. "I don't have that feeling at all. But what we must be vigilant about is creating the right ecosystem around the player to bring out all his qualities. We need to understand now how we will manage this workload, and what he is capable of giving to make an impact."

The relentless fixture pile-up worries him, though. "It has certainly become different from last year, the demands we place on each player are enormous, as is the quantity of matches and their intensity. The times between matches are getting shorter, we play on Sunday then Wednesday then Saturday, there are less than 66 or 67 hours between each match. Bukayo did not start against Lille because we knew we had to play three times in less than six days."

On the criticism aimed at his team's style of play, Arteta hit back. "I think you have to respect every opponent. It would be good to be consistent, but this is what we face and it is understandable. This game stirs passion and is affected by emotion and it is natural to forget what the team has done, but I understand that these are the expectations and our job is to create that excitement consistently."

He signed off: "Every team will prepare itself to find the best way to beat us, and if the match changes after 10 minutes, the next 80 minutes may be different, so we must be ready to win in any context and with an enjoyable performance too."