Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on 24 October to move level on 21 points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, hours after City's 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa. Ezri Konsa scored in the seventh minute and Gabriel Magalhães headed in the second midway through the second half. City stay top on goal difference, +11 to Arsenal's +8, VnExpress reported.
Set pieces are back
The opener came from Arsenal's third corner in a row. The Guardian described Gabriel winning the first contact at the near post and Jordan Pickford tipping the ball onto the crossbar before Vitaliy Mykolenko, under pressure from Viktor Gyökeres, failed to clear and Konsa rammed it in from close range. It was the centre-back's first goal for the club.
After a record 25 goals from set pieces last season, Arsenal had not managed one in this campaign until now. According to Opta figures cited by The Guardian and VnExpress, it was their first set-piece goal, penalties excluded, since May against Crystal Palace, ending a run of 13 games without one. Dân trí added that it was the first time Everton had conceded from a corner this season.
Arsenal won 10 corners in the first half alone but could not extend the lead, with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke both missing good chances. Everton had their moments: Tyrique George curled an effort wide, Gabriel cleared off the line after a set piece and, just before half-time, a weak Ben White header back let in Thierno Barry, whose attempt was saved by David Raya.
Gabriel seals it
Gabriel landed awkwardly and hurt his knee early in the second half but played on. In the 68th minute White broke down the right and crossed to the back post, where the Brazilian rose to head in, less than a minute after Arteta turned to his bench, The Guardian noted. VnExpress said it was Gabriel's 21st goal in 200 Premier League games for Arsenal, and that no defender has scored more since his league debut in September 2020. Dân trí said it was his first of the season.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall headed wide late on, and Dân trí pointed out that Everton had not managed a shot on target before the second goal. Both managers were booked: Mikel Arteta for protesting when referee Tony Harrington penalised Gyökeres for a foul on James Tarkowski, and David Moyes later on.
Rotation after Bayern
Arteta made five changes from the 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in the third round of the Champions League league phase in midweek (see Bayern Munich 2-2 Arsenal). Eze started in place of Bukayo Saka, who was injured and went off after 10 minutes in Munich; The Guardian said Saka is expected to miss a long spell with a thigh injury. Ben White made his 200th appearance for Arsenal, Gabriel reached 200 Premier League games, and Gyökeres made his first league start of the season but is still waiting for his first club goal of the campaign.
Asked whether the title race felt strange given the uncertainty over what punishment City will receive after being found guilty of 115 charges by the Premier League, Arteta said: “[We are] just focusing on what we can do. We are very pleased with 90% of the results and performances that we have.”
Moyes' long wait goes on
Everton were without Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish, who was ill, and had won twice in 35 visits, according to The Guardian. It was the 63-year-old Moyes's 14th trip to the stadium as Everton manager without a win; his only victory there came with West Ham in 2023. Opta, via The Guardian, recorded the result as the 400th defeat of his managerial career, 31 of them against Arsenal, more than against any other opponent.
“It was always going to be hard after conceding the early goal,” Moyes said. “I want us to challenge the top teams but it’s difficult when you see the strength of their bench.”
Everton were unbeaten in their first six league games (two wins and four draws, per Dân trí) but have now lost two in a row, and The Guardian noted the defeat came after confirmation that the club's American owners want out. Dân trí added that Everton have gone 9 Premier League away games without a win, a run stretching back to last season.
What's next
Opta noted that this is only the third top-flight season in which two teams have won at least seven of their first eight games, after 1892-93 and 1913-14. Arsenal have won 12 of their last 13 league matches, according to Dân trí. They will visit Liverpool in the next round on 1 November, VnExpress reported, with Saka still sidelined (see Saka's injury update).