Everton came back from a goal down to hand the Gunners their first defeat in the league since fellow Merseyside club Liverpool beat them back on the opening matchday.
Arsenal went a goal up away at Goodison Park through a deflected Alexis Sanchez free kick before a Seamus Coleman header levelled proceedings. Ashley Williams scored in the 86th minute through another brilliant header as Everton won their first game after five matches and took all the three points.
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The game was a tightly contested one with the hosts looking like the better outfit for the most part. A red card to Phil Jagielka and an early injury concern for Idrissa Gueye aside, Koeman’s men will be happy with their performance.
Here are the main talking points from this enthralling match –
#1 Star duo Ozil and Sanchez were no shows
In what was a lacklustre performance all round for the Gunners, the in-form Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil failed to do conjure up anything concrete in the match as their absence was felt in a poor attacking display by Wenger’s men.
Although Sanchez will take credit for the goal, it came through a heavy deflection and apart from that the Chilean looked out of sorts throughout the game. Fellow partner in crime Ozil was not his usual self, and the German did not have any impact on the ball, often failing to find teammates in space. Overall, the playmaker just had an extremely poor game.
Wenger will be hoping that his two main men just had an off day and are back to their usual selves for the weekend game as they face fellow title rivals Manchester City next.
#2 Ashley Williams – zero to hero
The first half was a highly forgettable one for the Welsh international. Williams accidentally injured teammate Idrissa Gueye while going for the ball and the midfielder immediately had to be subbed off as a result. Soon after that, Williams was in the midst of the drama again as Sanchez’s free kick hit him and deflected past the helpless keeper into the net.
Football is a game of two halves, though, and sure enough, the former Swansea man’s physicality and presence of mind gave him the opportunity to score and he took full advantage as he thundered his header past Petr Cech to give his team the lead and all the 3 points.
Williams would be thanking his stars for that goal as a sigh of relief could be heard around Goodison Park.
#3 Arsenal’s complacency cost them
After Sanchez scored from the free kick, Arsenal’s tempo and all their pace and momentum seemed to fade away.
Everton were playing right into Arsenal’s hands by sitting deep and giving them space and time on the ball, but after they conceded, their style changed and the Gunners could not cope with them.
There was urgency in Everton’s play, but the visitors seemed content letting the Toffees attack and it cost them big time as a perfect Leighton Baines cross found his fellow fullback Coleman who did not miss.
Even in the second half, their game was not up to the mark and all in all, it was a complacent and lacklustre performance by the North London team as they lost what seemed to be a highly winnable game at the beginning.
#4 Everton found form at the right time
There was visible confusion and frustration at Goodison Park as Everton sat back for the first quarter of an hour, but the fans and the stadium came alive soon after that as Koeman’s men began to attack and defended resolutely so as to not give the Gunners any space.
Enner Valencia provided a breath of fresh air in Everton’s attack and was one of their best players along with Baines and Coleman who had wonderful games. The hosts did not give up after the goal and their resilient defensive display combined with some clinical finishing from their defenders gave them some much-needed confidence and points.
A red card and subsequent one-game ban for captain Jagielka and a possible injury for the ever consistent Gueye will definitely be concerns for the club but the momentum could not have come at a better time.
With Everton’s biggest fixture of the league, the Merseyside Derby right around the corner, Koeman and Co have found some form and will be hoping to capitalise on Liverpool’s poor run of form come the weekend.
#5 A difficult road ahead for the Gunners
Having just drawn Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16, Wenger and Co went into this game with perhaps the threat of the German giants in their mind.
Regardless of the reasons for the poor performance, the fact remains that a Chelsea win would see Arsenal’s bitter rivals go 6 points ahead of them with no European fixtures to worry about and a sure shot advantage in that aspect. Liverpool will also be smiling at this result as a win for them would mean that the Reds will be level on points with the Gunners.
Due to some poor defending and a lack of a proper final ball and finish, Arsenal have dropped points at the wrong time as Everton were winless in their last five and a little more urgency after the lucky first goal would no doubt have seen Wenger’s men get all 3 points.
Alas, it was the exact opposite and now they must lace up their boots and prepare for another tough fixture in the form of Manchester City in the weekend.
