Poor Everton did well to lose by just one goal

Everton 0 - 1 Arsenal

Everton are back at Goodison Park and in front of the Sky cameras for a huge match against Arsenal which they, as the expression goes, failed to turn up for, valiant defence notwithstanding. 

Sean Dyche seems to be doing his best to keep the players he has available focused on the immense task in hand, amidst strident speculation following Farhad Moshiri's takeover announcement on Friday.  

Beto starts his first game at Goodison Park with Dwight McNeil also returning to the starting line-up but Jack Harrison, Seamus Coleman and  Dele Alli are all still recovering from injuries.  Calvert-Lewin is on the bench where Patterson and Garner are demoted to, with a full complement of 9 players and only 1 goalkeeper.

The visitors kicked off and went for possession play that lasted just over a minute before Ahley Young intercepted a pass.  More Arsenal possession saw Keane forced to head behind for a very early corner that Tarkowski headed out. And so it continued with Everton reduced to ball watching. But Young did well to force a goal-kick off Martinelli. 

Everton, however, could only play backwards when they finally got the ball, and showed little interest in risking the high press, instead being vulnerable when McNeil was carpet-bagged and Branthwaite forced to concede another corner, followed quickly by a third when his clearance hit Young. Vieira got the first shot away but well high and wide. 

Branthwaite was forced into a dangerous backpass, Nketiah colliding dangerously with Pickford. Beto got beneath a long Pickford hoof but could not hold it up or lay it off and the ball was going all the way back to Pickford. The Gunners tried to resume their tight passing game but some blue shirts finally intervened to disrupt them. 

Arsenal tried a faster move forward but Mykolenko stopped Saka in his tracks. The slow stuff resumed but, when Everton forced a turnover, they gave the ball away almost immediately. Somehow, the Blues just lost track of things in midfield and Martinelli overlapped to fire home easily, albeit some element of offside – which was finally verified by the VAR.  A lucky escape for a very poor Everton showing so far. 

The painfully slow but largely unchallenged Arsenal build-up play resumed. Branthwaite had to block a goalbound shot from Declan Rice. With Arsenal doing the high press, Pickford gave Tarkowski a horrible play-out, his hoofs to Beto having not worked. Beto was released in midfield but he ambled forward too slowly and could not beat Saliba.

A cross from Young was easily gathered by Raya. Everton tried at least to press a little and got better possession Doucouré surging forward and running into Saliba, eventually Gana shooting lamely at Raya. Saka was fouled and Mykolenko put the cross out of play. Beto tried to collect but accidentally caught Vieira with his elbow. Then Mykolenko was a fraction late on Saka, but Simon Hooper said no foul. 

Beto was again thwarted by Saliba. but at least Everton players were finally engaging a little more with some decent niggle to break up the Arsenal passing play. But really, when they did get the ball, the Blue shirts were just hopeless. Arsenal went forward and White eventually had a pop but Pickford was behind it comfortably. 

More Arsenal build-up play; more tight defending from Everton, and more turnovers immediately squandered; rinse and repeat until Beto got a clearance and lumbered forward but lost the ball. McNeil, who had hardly been involved, strayed offside. After Everton got forward again in added time, Young was booked for a tackle from behind. Saliba went down clutching his face but Beto hardly touched him and Simon Hooper was rightly uninterested. 

And so ended a strange half — effective from the Everton defence because no goals conceded, but oh dear — how utterly useless were they with the ball going forward?

The Blues resumed and immediately gave the ball to Arsenal for a dangerous attack, Branthwait defending. Then Zinchenko crossing and Odegard striking hard at goal but within saving range of Pickford. Gabriele blocked Beto illegally: yellow card. 

Everton had to defend another Arsenal onslaught without Pickford being tested. Danuma trying to work the ball into the Arsenal area and failing, then Mykolenko letting Branthwaite's pass roll under his foot and out of play, letting Arsenal build another spell of attacking pressure. 

Trossard looked well offside when he crossed past Pickford, Taarkowski clearing the danger. Doucuréwas easily robbed and Tarkowski had to stop Saka with a fine block. Three Arsenal corners ensued. Zinchenko's shot blocked and then Branthwaite heading the cross to Pickford and enabling Everton to play an outball. 

The hour-mark passed and Sean Dyche decided that it was time for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, wearing the Mask of Zoro, to replace Beto but not before Gn was fouled, Young floating the free-kick but nothing from it with Gabriel milking a caress from Tarkowski. From a throw-in the ball fell to Danjuma whose snapshot flew just over Raya's bar. 

Everton needed to repel a couple more Arsenal corners, but could do nothing to stop Trossard's first-time volley in off the far post to no doubt secure the 3 points finally for Arsenal, with 20 minutes to go, Evertonshowing zero ability to threaten the Arsenal goal. 

Mykolenko did well to win a corner off a massive Pickford hoof but Young delivered it straight into Raya's arms. Arsenal attacked, Vieira poking it wide. Doucoure tried to build a move down the left but Young surrendered the ball cheaply. 

The Blues got forward again but that abysmal moment of every game came when Gana decided it was time to shoot and shoot as badly as anyone possibly could. Everton were then torn asunder by a quick Arsenal move but Pickford parried Odegaard's shot and Mykolenko superbly blocked Vieira's shot, the ensuing corner being cleared.

A free-kick for a foul on Garner led to a bout of head-tennis that went nowhere. Everton were reduced to scampering around in search of the ball that Arsenal moved forward smoothly to Havertz who could not score from a narrow angle. Hooper had a strong word with Jesus and Tarkowski about something as Patterson replaced Young, and Chermitti replaced McNeil.

The ball got forward to Calvert-Lewin but all he could do was spoon a non-shot and non-cross to nobody as 4 minutes were added on. 

Everton:  Pickford, Young [Y:45+2'] (87' Patterson), Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana, Onana, Doucouré (80' Garner), McNeil (87' Chermiti), Danjuma, Beto (66' Calvert-Lewin). 

Subs not Used: Virginia, Keane, Godfrey, Dobbin, Onyango. 

Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel [Y:48'] (66' Jesus), Zinchenko (80' Tomiyasu); Rice, Vieira, (80' Havertz), Odegaard; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.

Subs not Used: Ramsdale, Kiwior, Jorginho Trossard, Smith Rowe, Nelson.

---

Reader Comments (280)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()

---

How to get rid of these ads and support TW