Everton vs Arsenal Review
Viktor Gyökeres’ penalty was the deciding factor as Arsenal defeated Everton 1-0 to regain first place in the Premier League standings. The Gunners had a somewhat uneasy beginning, particularly when Piero Hincapié and Riccardo Calafiori collided, but Jurriën Timber prevented Thierno Barry from taking a shot following William Saliba’s uncertain header from a long throw-in. Martín Zubimendi took Arsenal’s first shot in the 19th minute after Michael Keane deflected the ball to him, though he shot well over the crossbar. Shortly after, Gyökeres missed a header as Mikel Arteta’s team began to assert more control.
The visitors got a major opportunity for a breakthrough when Jake O’Brien handled the ball while trying to clear a Declan Rice corner. Gyökeres confidently converted the resulting penalty in the 27th minute, scoring his first goal since returning from injury to put his team ahead. After taking the lead, Arsenal almost completely controlled the game, patiently moving the ball around, but this dominance didn’t result in testing Jordan Pickford, as Rice’s long-range shot went harmlessly wide and Bukayo Saka’s header missed the target.
Everton came out for the second half with determination, but Carlos Alcaraz’s shot struck Barry, and a goal-line clearance by James Tarkowski was needed to stop Saka after some excellent combination play with Timber. Alcaraz then fired a shot narrowly wide following a chaotic moment near Arsenal’s penalty area, with Barry continuing to cause problems. As the second half went on, Arsenal began creating more chances, though Leandro Trossard and Zubimendi both hit the post.
Keane managed to intervene just in time to block Saka in two threatening moments. However, Arsenal maintained control of the match effectively to secure their third straight victory in all competitions, reclaiming first place in the Premier League above Manchester City. On the other hand, Everton have now experienced two consecutive losses, both against top-four teams, but they remain within the top 10 as Christmas approaches.
