Mikel Arteta’s encouraging rebuilding job at Arsenal continued with a thrilling victory over a stubborn Everton, a result that could have a big say in the race for European football next season.
The Spaniard had Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang largely to thank for the outcome after the striker scored twice, including the winner – taking his personal goals tally to 19 for the season and an impressive 60 in 95 games for the Gunners.
The see-saw game could not have got off to a worse start for Arteta’s side, though, as their shambolic defending allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to overhead kick Everton into the lead following a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick after just 49 seconds.
But the Gunners slowly wrestled control of the game away from the visitors, with Eddie Nketiah side-footing a volley home to draw them level from early substitute Bukayo Saka’s superb left-wing cross, before Aubameyang slotted them into the lead.
Their progress was again checked when Richarlison capitalised on yet more defensive frailty to poke Everton level just before half-time, but Aubameyang headed the home side back ahead 26 seconds after the break.
Everton had chances to get at least a point, but Calvert-Lewin saw a cross agonisingly elude his slide before firing straight at Leno from close range.
The win means Arsenal remain unbeaten in 2020 and gives them back-to-back league victories for the first time since the opening two matches of the campaign.
Should Manchester City’s Champions League ban be upheld, eighth place in the Premier League could be enough to qualify for the Europa League, and the top five could be good enough for Europe’s premier club competition. The Gunners are now just two points off Wolves in eighth and four points behind fifth-placed Manchester United.
Everton, who have European aspirations of their own following a run of five games unbeaten prior to this, are 11th but still in the mix, a point worse off than the Gunners.
Arteta slowly making his mark
Arteta was in the stands at Goodison Park for the reverse fixture in December, when interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg led the Gunners to a 0-0 draw against a Duncan Ferguson-managed Toffees.
But this is now very much the Spaniard’s side, and while he is in credit from his 12 games so far, there is still clear work to be done.
Having played in Athens in the Europa League on Thursday with a side that included five of the 11 that started against Everton, the Gunners had significantly less recovery and preparation time than the Toffees, who last played on 8 February.
Arsenal’s quick turnaround can be no excuse for their shambolic start to this contest and their lacklustre defending, though.
Their back four was all at sea in the first minute when Sigurdsson’s free-kick was floated in and they failed to react to prevent Calvert-Lewin’s finish. It probably wasn’t wise of Shkodran Mustafi to dye his hair light grey, thus making himself all the more conspicuous, while David Luiz responded by berating all those in red around him.
They were equally culpable in added time at the end of the first half, missing crucial headers before Mina and then Richarlison got the crucial touches.
However, as Arteta has been at pains to point out in the early weeks of his tenure, the Gunners are a work in progress and one that will not necessarily improve at lightning pace.
But the obvious negatives were outweighed by the positives he can take from the game – not least the continued impressive displays of some of his young players and the ongoing potency of Aubameyang.
It was somewhat surprising to see 18-year-old wing-back Saka initially left out, but an injury to Sead Kolasinac meant he was unleashed early on, and he quickly made his presence felt with a wicked curling cross for the opener.
The scorer of that goal, Nketiah, has had a circuitous route to the Arsenal first team this season, via a frustrating loan spell at Leeds, but he is now showing why he has been likened to Ian Wright, and his finish was one that the Gunners’ leading all-time goalscorer would have been proud of.
What more can be said about Aubameyang? He was Arsenal’s brightest light during recent difficult times and is now thriving as the team strives to lift itself to his standards.
Everton leave with plenty to be upbeat about
Carlo Ancelotti spoke before the game about the need for his side to make “a statement” at the start of a run of fixtures against the old-school ‘big four’ that will ruthlessly vet their suitability for a European spot next season.
Following just their second defeat in 12 league games, their next three matches are against Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, with Tottenham to come in April.
Even the Italian couldn’t have wished for his side to act on his demands so quickly as Calvert-Lewin did when his athleticism came to fore with a finish after Sigurdsson’s free-kick had looped up off the back off Luiz.
Ancelotti will also have been delighted at the resolve and positivity they demonstrated to restore parity at 2-2, and also in striving for another leveller during the second half, albeit this time in vain.
They had more than enough chances to leave London with a point, not least when Calvert-Lewin found himself in space just a few yards out. But he was somehow unable to beat Leno, and also glanced a header from a corner just wide.
Everton are used to getting worked over by Arsenal – they are winless in 24 visits to the Gunners and have conceded a Premier League-high 110 goals against them. But they will rarely leave with as much optimism following a defeat as after this.
On an afternoon when there were plenty of positives for Everton to reflect on, perhaps the most important was the return to action of midfielder Andre Gomes, just four months after suffering a fractured dislocation to his ankle.
The midfielder played the final 30 minutes and showed what the Toffees had been missing with his ability to pick a pass, a skill he demonstrated with one superb ball to release Richarlison for another shot that Leno saved.
Man of the match – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
A Premier League first for early goals – match stats
- Arsenal have registered consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since winning their opening two games of the season against Newcastle and Burnley.
- Everton are winless in 24 away Premier League games against Arsenal (D4 L20), only enduring a longer away winless top-flight run between 1946 and 2001 against Leeds United.
- Arsenal have scored 110 Premier League goals against Everton – eight more than any other side has scored against an opponent in Premier League history.
- This was the first Premier League match to see a goal scored in the opening minute of each half since 2001, when Leeds scored in the 1st and 46th minutes away at Charlton Athletic.
- Arsenal conceded in the opening minute of a home Premier League game for only the second time – they also did so in 2007 against Fulham, when David Healy scored after 51 seconds.
- Eddie Nketiah’s goal, assisted by Bukayo Saka, was the first time two players aged under 21 have combined for a Premier League goal for Arsenal since 2008, when Denilson assisted Nicklas Bendtner against Bolton.
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored seven goals in nine Premier League appearances under Carlo Ancelotti, having netted seven in his previous 31 games before the Italian took charge.
What’s next?
Arsenal are back in Europa League action on Thursday, hosting Olympiakos in the second leg of their last-32 tie. They then play Portsmouth in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday 2 March before returning to league action at home to West Ham on Saturday 7 March.
Everton’s next game is at home against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday 1 March.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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