Konsa and Gabriel set pieces sink Everton as Arsenal close on City
Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after a clinical 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates, with both goals coming from corners against a David Moyes side that continues to toil in north London.
Ezri Konsa scored his first goal for Arsenal in just the seventh minute, poking home from close range after a scrambled corner that saw Gabriel Magalhães win the first header, Jordan Pickford tip the ball onto the crossbar, and Vitaliy Mykolenko fail to clear under pressure from Viktor Gyökeres. Gabriel then doubled the lead midway through the second half, heading in at the back post from a Ben White cross just moments after coming on for Gyökeres.
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It was not, by the Guardian's own account, a vintage performance from Mikel Arteta's side, but it did not need to be against an Everton team that offered little going forward even as they defended stubbornly for long periods. Everton arrived at the Emirates having won just twice in 35 previous visits to the stadium, and that record has now extended further, with Moyes losing for the second match in a row following confirmation that the club's American owners want out.
Rotation after Bayern, Saka blow confirmed
Arteta made five changes from the midweek Champions League trip to face Bayern Munich, a heavier rotation than usual for a league fixture. Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice were not among those rested, both maintaining their record of starting every Premier League match so far this season.
The team news was overshadowed by confirmation that Bukayo Saka has suffered a thigh injury that could rule him out until mid-December. Noni Madueke, left out of the squad for the Bayern match, started in his absence and went close with an instinctive effort from the edge of the box in the first half, watched on by England manager Thomas Tuchel.
Gyökeres struggles continue before his number is called
Gyökeres made his first Premier League start of the season but again looked laboured in attack and has yet to score for the club in the competition. He was booked for a foul on James Tarkowski in the second half, a decision that also earned Arteta a yellow card for his protests, before being replaced inside the hour, with Gabriel's winner arriving within a minute of the substitution.
Everton had chances of their own, with Thierno Barry denied by David Raya before half time and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall firing a late header just wide. But Arsenal held on comfortably enough to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and keep the pressure on City at the summit heading into the next round of fixtures.
