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Really, this should be about Everton being the first winners. That’s now three wins in a row for the Toffees and two of three against the Big Six, however you choose to define that particular group of clubs. Suddenly they’re back to second in the table, for a day anyway, despite missing key players.
Unfortunately, it is not the first time that Everton’s solid work has been completely Outshined by that mob all over Stanley Park. Sorry, but still: well done. Maybe you have a second half goal attempt if you want us to go rogue and make two first winners.
The good work of Everton is also inevitably overshadowed by the absolute circus that is Arsenal Football Club. They are very, very bad. As in the North London Derby fifteen days ago, they had a lot of the ball. This should not and should not be viewed as proof of progress or improvement. Everton, like Spurs, were happy they had him because, rightly, they weren’t afraid that Arsenal would do something with him.
Until a slightly frantic final couple of minutes, Arsenal, as they did at Spurs, created nothing with the sheer amount of possession they ‘enjoyed’. They fell behind for the full 45 seconds, but failed to make a single effort on target; Everton had more of an excuse because they were winning.
We were nonchalantly the prospect of Arsenal being in some kind of relegation problem in the week but damn maybe they are. West Brom has Big Sam Klaxon sounded, Fulham is taking points away from Liverpool and Burnley will definitely get Burnley out of trouble. The cold facts are that Arsenal have now won five points in their last 10 games and, worse, it’s not even remotely difficult to see why when you watch their games. We have spent a third of the season and Arsenal are on track to score 38 points. It is terribly bad.
One team literally lost 7-0 at home before and it still wasn’t the most pathetic display of the day. Really impressive.
– Andy Ha (@AndyHa_) December 19, 2020
Yes, they have players out. But a) so do everyone else and b) at least one of those missing is totally self-inflicted.
Mikel Arteta had a predictably nasty return to Goodison and is now under enormous, enormous pressure. It’s a shame for Arsenal that Sam Allardyce, who is avoiding relegation, is no longer available.
But it would be a mistake to attribute Arsenal’s failures entirely to Arteta. Instead, we will blame Willian.
Arsenal are miserable across the field, with the notable exception again today of Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney on the left, but my word Willian stands out. There were players wandering all over the pitch as Everton took the lead when Rob Holding became the last Arsenal captain to score his own goal (Arsenal, by the way, have now scored as many Premier League goals on the wrong side as they have on the correct one in his current seven-game winless streak).
But it was, as so often during this latest exhibition disaster, Willian turned heads when Everton fell behind. Falling back from another failed attack. And then he came over to make a symbolic effort to cut the cross. It was a moment in 90 minutes of them, and again he was far from alone: If Holding hadn’t deflected the ball into his own net, Richarlison would have had a bunt on the back post and allowed him to run there unchallenged. by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
But Willian was a player Arteta lobbied for in the summer, got in the summer and continues to back despite mounting evidence that this is a mistake.
This was an absolute nothing from a Willian performance in another absolute nothing from a performance by his new team. He is becoming the defining player for this Arsenal team. They and he are precisely where they deserve to be.
Dave tickner
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