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Mikel Arteta received a gracious applause from Gwladys Street upon his return to Goodison Park, but little else as Arsenal’s miserable form continued. His team put up a little fight, it is true, but very poor quality, as they endured a seventh Premier League match without a win as Everton rose to second place.
Yerry Mina’s header at the end of the break was a well-deserved victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s side after a Pépé penalty canceled out Rob Holding’s unfortunate own goal. The gulf of confidence between the teams was visible and understandable, and despite a better performance in the second half, Arsenal lacked the cunning and composure to salvage a point.
Arteta, already without the suspended Gabriel Magalhães, suffered another setback before kick-off when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was ruled out by a tight calf. David Luiz replaced the Brazilian in a three-man Arsenal defense that was immediately pressured by an Everton team that showed more confidence, intent and aggression.
It was only after falling behind that the visitors woke up from an anemic start. Abdoulaye Doucouré may have had more defensive responsibility in the absence of the crooked Allan, but that didn’t stop the Everton midfielder from propelling his team forward in another very impressive display.
However, the chances were slim in a quiet opening, prompting Michael Keane to go solo and shoot from over 25 yards as the Arsenal defense fell back. His effort deflected inches from Bernd Leno’s right post.
Given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s aerial prowess and the space behind Arsenal’s wings, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka, quality delivery in the area always seemed like a fruitful option for Everton.
It took them a while to find their range, but they found themselves deservedly ahead when former Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi picked up a cross ball from Tom Davies and crossed for Calvert-Lewin. The English international connected with a header that hit the involuntary Holding before getting into the far post.
Arsenal came into action late. Kieran Tierney created an excellent opportunity for Eddie Nketiah to equalize when he hooked the ball from the baseline for the unmarked forward. Nketiah missed badly with a cut shot that sailed yards wide.
The visitors received a draw from the penalty spot when Davies, starting in place of the injured Allan and André Gomes, inadvertently dropped Maitland-Niles as he tried to clear Mina’s header.
The Arsenal winger made the most of the contact, but Davies ‘reaction said it all as he took a punt only to connect with Maitland-Niles’ thigh. Pépé, after a long and choppy run, sent Jordan Pickford down the wrong path from the spot.
Visitors were not able to enjoy their gift for long. At the edge of the break, Calvert-Lewin started and finished a fluid play from Everton with a clean chest and a measured pass to Iwobi from the right. He released the overlapping Mason Holgate, who returned the ball in for Calvert-Lewin to cut through Mohamed Elneny and drive his left foot into the top corner.
Leno stepped in with a superb fingertip save only to be struck seconds later from the resulting corner. Mina lost Pépé too easily when Gylfi Sigurdsson started to cross and, after launching into the front post without his marker to accompany him, he passed Leno with a powerful header.
To their credit, Arsenal were unrecognizable after the restart, dominating the first 15 minutes with an urgency that was lacking a lot in the first half and with genuine threat. Tierney and Willian’s left-wing combination was largely responsible and it was from the latter’s center that Arsenal nearly tied for the second time. Pickford poured the center under pressure directly to David Luiz, whose shot bounced off the ground and off the post with the Everton goalkeeper stranded.
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Penalty aside, Pépé was a peripheral figure thanks in large part to another assured performance by Ben Godfrey, who is doing a light job of having to replace the left-back despite being a right-handed central defender. A landslide run by the former Norwich captain nearly created a third goal for Calvert-Lewin as Everton regained the initiative after David Luiz’s break. Richarlison, straying away from Maitland-Niles, then hit Iwobi, but Tierney intervened with a vital punt before the winger could convert. Keane also came close to connecting with a Sigurdsson free kick in the box after running away from the Arsenal defense.
