Everton 1-0 Arsenal

After Man City’s 3-0 win against West Ham had taken them to the top of the table, Arsenal needed a win away at Everton to regain the top spot and that was exactly what they did, albeit far from a comfortable win. A 27th minute penalty from Viktor Gyokeres was enough to seal the 1-0 win and a return to 1st.

Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka were either side of goalscorer Gyokeres in Arsenal’s front 3. Dwight McNeil, Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Grealish were the 3 behind Thierno Barry in Everton’s 4231.

From minute 1, the atmosphere at the Hill Dickinson Stadium was electric as Everton sought to disrupt Arsenal’s title ambitions. The home side displayed immediate intent, looking to press high and unsettle the visitors’ backline. In the 4th minute, this energy nearly paid dividends when Jack Grealish found space in a dangerous area. He looked to carve out an early opening for the Toffees, but his attempted final ball was wayward, causing a promising attacking transition to fizzle out before a shot could be registered.

Arsenal soon found their rhythm, beginning to dominate possession and exploit gaps in the Everton midfield. By the 15th minute, the Gunners registered their first significant attempt on goal. Martin Zubimendi, finding a pocket of space on the edge of the penalty area, unleashed a powerful strike. However, the effort lacked the necessary dip and sailed well over Jordan Pickford’s crossbar, serving as a warning shot for the Everton defense.

Everton responded with a surge of their own. In the 19th minute, Vitaliy Mykolenko embarked on a driving run into the Arsenal box. The defender managed to create enough space to unleash a goalbound shot, but the Arsenal defense remained resolute, producing a heroic block to deny what would have been a certain opener.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 26th minute following a moment of controversy. A Declan Rice corner caused chaos in the Everton box, leading to a VAR review for a potential handball. The officials determined that Jake O’Brien had indeed handled the ball, resulting in a penalty for Arsenal. Viktor Gyökeres took responsibility, stepping up to the spot and thunderously converting the penalty to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Following the goal, Arsenal looked to capitalize on their momentum. In the 39th minute, Declan Rice attempted to double the advantage with an ambitious long-range effort, though the shot lacked accuracy and flew high over the bar. Just before the break, in the 41st minute, Gyökeres hunted for a second goal, but his attempt from a tight angle failed to trouble Pickford, clearing the woodwork.

The second half began with Everton desperately searching for an equalizer. Just seconds after the restart in the 46th minute, Carlos Alcaraz met a well-placed James Tarkowski cross with a header. The effort looped dangerously toward goal but ultimately landed just over the crossbar.

Arsenal nearly extended their lead in the 49th minute. Jurriën Timber provided a sharp feed to Bukayo Saka, who appeared destined to score. Saka’s low shot beat the goalkeeper but was partially slowed by Pickford; the ball continued toward the goal line until James Tarkowski intervened with a crucial goal-line clearance.

Everton’s Alcaraz remained a threat, finding another opportunity in the 55th minute. However, his right-footed effort lacked the necessary composure, flying harmlessly into the stands. The tension escalated in the 59th minute when Everton appealed vociferously for a penalty after Thierno Barry went down under a challenge from Saliba. A lengthy VAR check followed, but the officials eventually ruled that no foul had been committed, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

As the match entered its final third, Arsenal’s frustration grew as they twice struck the woodwork. In the 64th minute, Leandro Trossard saw a curling effort beat Pickford only to rattle the post. Moments later, Arsenal made their first substitution, bringing on Gabriel Jesus for the goalscorer Gyökeres. Everton responded in the 66th minute, replacing Thierno Barry with Beto.

The Gunners were denied by the frame of the goal again in the 69th minute. Following slick interplay between Saka and Martin Ødegaard, Zubimendi fired a low drive that struck the base of the upright. With the game still finely balanced at 1-0, Everton made a double change in the 75th minute, introducing Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl for Dwight McNeil and Alcaraz.

Arsenal continued to manage the clock, with Trossard making way for Gabriel Martinelli in the 79th minute , followed by Mikel Merino replacing Ødegaard in the 88th minute. In the 89th minute, Martinelli received a yellow card for kicking the ball away in an attempt to waste time. Despite Everton’s late pressure, Arsenal navigated six minutes of stoppage time to secure the three points and maintain their position at the top of the table.