Mikel Arteta oversaw a first Arsenal victory at Goodison Park since October 2017, as Leandro Trossard’s second-half strike extended their unbeaten Premier League start to five matches.
Everton set up to repel the Gunners for as long as they possibly could, looking to counter when the opportunity presented itself, but their game plan nearly backfired in the 20th minute.
Fabio Vieira set Gabriel Martinelli through on goal with a well-weighted pass, and the Brazilian curled home what he thought was Arsenal’s opener and his first goal of the season until VAR intervened, ruling for an offside.
For most of the opening period, it seemed Sean Dyche’s tactics were bang on the money, with Arsenal struggling to break down a resolute Everton backline.
Both sides went into the half-time interval on level terms, a result Everton were more than happy with despite offering next to nothing in an attacking sense.
However, Arsenal nearly found a breakthrough within a minute of the restart as Martin Odegaard fired an effort straight at Jordan Pickford, who was on hand to make a brilliant save.
Hitting the hour mark with their clean sheet still intact, Dyche introduced the returning Dominic Calvert-Lewin in an attempt to snatch a late victory.
However, it was Arsenal who finally broke the deadlock as some sleek passing on the edge of the area finished with Bukayo Saka setting up Trossard to slot home the opening goal.
Everton’s response was muted, with their struggling attack failing to muster any real chances on the other end of the pitch – although unsurprising considering they had only scored twice in the league prior to kick-off.
Arsenal had no problems seeing another important victory on the road this season, which helps them keep tabs on defending champions Manchester City at the table’s summit.
Everton vs Arsenal Player Ratings
Everton
Jordan Pickford (4/10) – Benefited from his immense centre-halves for most of the game. Could do nothing about the goal but should have done better with his distribution.
Vitaly Mykolenko (6/10) – Often struggled to keep up with Saka but did well to limit the winger’s influence, although at the expense of his attacking responsibilities.
Jarrad Branthwaite (7/10) – An exceptional performance from the youngster who barely put a foot wrong and refused to be beaten in 1v1 situations.
James Tarkowski (7/10) – A captain’s performance from the experienced defender. Put his body on the line several times and did well to keep Eddie Nketiah quiet.
Ashley Young (4/10) – Did well against Gabriel Martinelli but struggled to cope with Trossard. Lost possession one too many times too.
Dwight McNeil (3/10) – A shaky performance from the Englishman on his first start of the season. Looked unsure every time he got on the ball and was largely ineffective.
Idrissa Gueye (6/10) – Didn’t see much of the ball but worked hard for his side, although couldn’t affect the game that much.
Amadou Onana (5/10) – Was energetic but ultimately powerless to stop Arsenal’s midfield from dominating proceedings in the middle of the park.
Arnaut Danjuma (5/10) – Contributed more defensively and offered next to nothing going forward.
Abdoulaye Doucoure (6/10) – Was the only Everton player who looked capable of making something happen in Arsenal’s half.
Beto (5/10) – Often isolated at the top end of the pitch and struggled to get the better of the Arsenal defenders.
Substitutes
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (5/10)
James Garner (4/10)
Nathan Patterson (NA)
Youssef Chermiti (NA)
Arsenal
David Raya (7/10) – Rarely troubled by Everton’s lacklustre attack but caught the eye with his passing range. A debut clean sheet bodes well for his chances of nailing down the number-one spot.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (7/10) – His inverted role helped the Gunners establish a foothold in midfield, and his creative passes caused problems for Everton.
Gabriel Magalhaes (7/10) – Refused to be beaten in aerial battles and did well to cover for the inverted Zinchenko at left-back.
William Saliba (6/10) – Another smooth display from the silky Frenchman. Didn’t have much to do but put in a solid shift when called into action.
Ben White (7/10) – A complete display from the Englishman. Commanding in both areas of the pitch and was key to Arsenal’s attacking play.
Fabio Vieira (6/10) – Denied a telling contribution on his full debut by VAR but justified his selection with an impressive performance.
Declan Rice (7/10) – Anchored the midfield with aplomb and gave the attacking players free rein to foray forward.
Martin Odegaard (7/10) – Quietly went about his business, delivering yet another solid performance, but was sometimes clumsy in possession.
Gabriel Martinelli (3/10) – Unfortunate to be withdrawn with the game in its infancy due to injury, and the Arsenal fans will hope it’s not a long-term problem.
Edward Nketiah (5/10) – Showed flashes of some nice link-up play early on but an otherwise anonymous display from the striker.
Bukayo Saka (7/10) – Looked dangerous on the ball and was a constant threat on the right flank. Did well to set up Trossard for the match-winner.
Substitutes
Leandro Trossard (8/10)
Gabriel Jesus (4/10)
Kai Havertz (5/10)
Takehiro Tomiyasu (4/10)
