Arsenal 2-0 Everton: Report by Layth Yousif
Arsenal’s two centre-backs proved to be the difference in front of goal against Everton after Ezri Konsa and Gabriel secured all three points on a rainy Saturday in North London.
It was a good week all round for Konsa – who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday – after the Gunners summer arrival from Aston Villa opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Prior to Brazil defender Gabriel heading home in the 68th minute to claim victory on a wet and windy Islington afternoon.
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Arteta made fives changes to the team that drew with Bayern Munich in midweek, with Ben White making his 200th Gunners appearance, while Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres were all drafted into the starting line-up.
Toffees boss David Moyes was forced to make two changes after Jack Grealish missed the game due to sickness, while Jarrad Branthwaite was omitted from the squad due to concussion protocols.
After the late Ken Friar was honoured before kick-off with a hearty round of applause for his eight decades of service for the club, Konsa put the Gunners ahead in the seventh minute. The Hackney-born defender’s effort coming after Jordan Pickford could only push an inswinging corner onto Vitali Mykolenko at the back post. The ball dropped for Konsa who bundled it into the net for his first goal in red and white.
Tyrique George went close with a shot that fizzed past David Raya’s far post ten minutes later, before Merino had a shot blocked as the rain fell incessantly on a grim late October afternoon in N5. As we edged towards the half hour mark Noni Madueke drilled a low effort narrowly wide of Pickford’s post, after showing excellent technique with a quick turn on the edge of the area.
Eight minutes before the half time Raya was penalised for taking too long to get rid of the ball – with Everton awarded a corner as punishment against the errant keeper. But, like much of the day, the result proved to be a damp squib, as the home defence cleared their lines easily.
Six minutes prior to the interval, Gunners captain Odegaard attempted to dance around hordes of Everton defenders after a bustling drive forward from the yeoman Gyokeres, but the Gunner captain’s shot was blocked with six Toffees in the box, to deny hopes of a startling virtuoso goal.
As the clock ticked towards the break, White nodded the ball back to Raya, with Theirno Barry lurking, even if the visitors striker failed to make proper contact with the slovenly backpass. The half time whistle blew shortly afterwards, with Everton boss Moyes seen to remonstrate with the officials, even if he real.y should have had a word with his misfiring No11 first.
As the rain continued to lash down after the restart, the home side doubled their lead on 68 minutes, when Gabriel nodded home to seal the there points on a wretched day of weather in N5. There was still time for Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to head the ball at Raya’s goal in a crowded box, but the Toffees No8 steered his header past the far post to underline a miserable afternoon for the Merseysiders.
