Konsa and Gabriel strike as Arsenal see off stubborn Everton
Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after a 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates, with Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães on target in a victory that was far more comfortable than it was spectacular.
David Moyes arrived in north London hoping to finally end his miserable record at the stadium, a venue where he had won just once in 14 previous visits as a manager. That wait goes on. Arsenal struck inside seven minutes through a now familiar route, a corner routine that has become a trademark under Mikel Arteta.
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Set piece threat returns
Gabriel got the crucial first touch at the near post, Jordan Pickford did well to tip the header onto the crossbar, but Vitaliy Mykolenko could not clear under pressure from Viktor Gyökeres and Konsa pounced to ram the ball home from close range. It ended a run of 13 games without a set piece goal for Arsenal, a notable dip after they scored a record breaking 25 from dead balls last season.
Arteta made five changes from the side that faced Bayern Munich in midweek, with the Champions League clash clearly factoring into his thinking. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke both had chances to extend the lead in the first half, with Madueke particularly lively and unlucky not to score with an instinctive effort from the edge of the box. England manager Thomas Tuchel was watching on, with Madueke potentially in line to benefit from Bukayo Saka's expected long term absence through a thigh injury.
Everton, without the suspended Jarrad Branthwaite and the ill Jack Grealish, rode their luck for long periods. Ben White gifted them a half chance just before the break when Thierno Barry could not quite turn his effort past David Raya, but otherwise the visitors' resistance held until the hour mark.
Gabriel seals it
Gyökeres, making his first Premier League start of the season, struggled to make an impact and was still without a league goal for his club when he was replaced. Moments after his withdrawal, Arsenal doubled their lead. White delivered a brilliant cross from the right and Gabriel rose to head in at the back post, needing less than a minute after the change to make the breakthrough count.
It was enough to settle any lingering nerves, even if Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall almost gave Everton a route back into the game with a header that fizzed just wide late on. Both Arteta and Moyes picked up bookings for protesting decisions by referee Tony Harrington during the second half.
Asked about the title race with City, who lost to Aston Villa earlier in the day and now face uncertainty over sanctions after being found guilty of 115 charges by the Premier League, Arteta kept his focus narrow. “We are very pleased with 90% of the results and performances that we have,” he said, as quoted by the Guardian.
Moyes, meanwhile, pointed to the gulf in squad depth. “I want us to challenge the top teams but it's difficult when you see the strength of their bench,” he said. The defeat was his 400th in management across all competitions, with 31 of those losses coming against Arsenal, more than against any other club he has faced.
Arsenal now sit level with City at the summit heading into the next round of fixtures, with the title race showing no signs of settling down any time soon.
