David Moyes’ search for a positive result at the Emirates Stadium continued as the 63-year-old manager suffered another defeat in his 14th visit to the ground. Arsenal maintained their momentum with a clinical 2-0 home victory, drawing level with Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League table following City’s earlier loss to Aston Villa.
The breakthrough arrived in the seventh minute when Ezri Konsa fired home from close range.
The goal came after a flurry of Arsenal corners, with Gabriel Magalhães winning the initial header and Jordan Pickford pushing the ball onto the crossbar. Vitaliy Mykolenko’s subsequent clearance effort failed, allowing Konsa to net his first goal for the club. This strike marked Arsenal’s first goal from a set piece this season, ending a 13-game drought in that department. It was their first of this campaign, after a record-breaking 25 goals from set pieces last season. But could well benefit from Bukayo Saka’s expected long absence due to a thigh injury, the latter was left out of the last squad. He was inches away with an instinctive effort with his right foot from the edge of the area on the half-hour mark and was consistently Arsenal’s most dangerous threat. • The opener from Ezri Konsa (pictured celebrating) was Arsenal’s first set piece goal (excluding penalties) since May against Crystal Palace, ending a run of 13 games without one.
Mikel Arteta opted for five changes to his starting lineup following Wednesday’s match against Bayern Munich. While Viktor Gyökeres made his first league start, he struggled to find his rhythm and was eventually substituted. Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, was in attendance to watch Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze, with Madueke proving to be a persistent threat throughout the opening half. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke spurned good opportunities to extend the lead in front of the watching England head coach, Thomas Tuchel.
Everton, missing Jarrad Branthwaite and the ill Jack Grealish, faced heavy defensive pressure as Arsenal launched 10 corners before halftime. Despite the pressure, Everton nearly found an equalizer just before the break when Ben White conceded possession, though Thierno Barry failed to capitalize on the opportunity against David Raya. Who was ruled out with illness, they arrived in north London having won twice in 35 matches here and had to do without Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish. Everton must have feared the worst as yet another Arsenal corner – 10 during the first half – was launched into the area. Yet the defence just about stood firm. 31 of these have come against Arsenal, more than against any other opponent.
In the second half, Gabriel Magalhães sealed the result for the hosts, heading in a precise cross from Ben White less than a minute after a tactical adjustment. Moyes expressed frustration at the difficulty of closing the gap on top-tier opponents, noting, “It was always going to be hard after conceding the early goal. I want us to challenge the top teams but it’s difficult when you see the strength of their bench.” This was hardly a vintage performance from the clinical home side after a testing week but it did not need to be against opponents who offered precious little in attack, even if they defended for their lives at times. According to “It was always going to be hard after conceding the early goal,”, Moyes, whose solitary victory at the Emirates was as West Ham’s manager in 2023. “I want us to challenge the top teams but it’s difficult when you see the strength of their bench.”. He could not believe it when Tony Harrington penalised him for a foul on James Tarkowski and a sheepish Arteta earned himself a booking for protesting. Moyes’ frustration meant he joined Arteta in the referee’s notebook. It took less than 60 seconds for Gabriel to head in at the back post as White offered Tuchel a timely reminder of his qualities with a brilliant cross.
Arteta maintained a focused outlook regarding the title race and the ongoing off-field inquiries surrounding Manchester City. “We are just focusing on what we can do,” he stated. “We are very pleased with 90% of the results and performances that we have.” Asked whether it was strange that his side are again going toe-to-toe with their great rivals but with the added uncertainty of what punishment City will receive after being found guilty of 115 charges by the Premier League, Mikel Arteta said: “[We are] just focusing on what we can do.
Key statistical takeaways from the fixture include
- This season marks only the third time in top-flight history that two teams have won at least seven of their opening eight matches, joining the 1892-93 and 1913-14 campaigns.
- The match resulted in David Moyes’ 400th career defeat across all competitions, with Arsenal accounting for 31 of those losses, his highest total against any single opponent.
- Ezri Konsa’s opening goal ended a streak of 13 games without a set-piece goal for Arsenal, excluding penalties.
Everton’s defensive efforts were ultimately insufficient to overcome their poor historical record at the Emirates, where they have now managed only two wins in 35 visits. As the final whistle blew, Arsenal solidified their position in the title race, while Everton faces mounting pressure following reports of their American ownership’s desire to exit the club.
