Alexis Sanchez scored after 20 minutes but this was not enough to save Arsenal in the hands of Everton who had been on a run of 10 matches with only one win. In a pulsating match played on Tuesday at Goodison Park, Ashley Williams almost ended the outing of his team mate, Gana, prematurely after inadvertently lounging on his knee in a mistimed attempt to stop Coquelin from forcing his way into the Everton eighteen yard box. Phil Jagielka fouled Francis Coquelin just outside the box and the resultant free kick to Arsenal taken by Sanchez led to the gunners’ only goal.
But Everton muscled their way into the match, scoring the equalizer after 44 minutes. Seamus Coleman rose unmarked to head into the left corner of Peter Chech in goal for Arsenal.
McCarthy was booked for a rash challenge on Coquelin. There was some kind of shoving among the players as they retired to the dressing room at the end of the first half.
On resumption of play, Arsenal tried to dictate the game with Alexis Sanchez making penetrating runs into the Everton’s half. In one of those runs, he cut the ball back for Mesuit Ozil, but the German international wasted what looked like a gilt-edged chance on the 54th minute.
Rose Barkley hit an Everton a free kick on the defence wall in the 56th minte, after Leighton Baines had placed the ball in an apparent move to take the free kick.
Alex Iwobi who came in for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, missed a cut back from Sanchez, though he was in a difficult position.
Arsenal lacked composure in defence and on many occasions appeared vulnerable when ever Everton attacked.
The gunners defence eventually capitulated on 86th minute when Ashley Williams headed home the winner and his first goal for Everton from a corner kick by Rose Barkley, making Arsenal to rue missed chances.
Arsenal piled up a late challenge for the equalizer but their efforts failed to pay off, even penalty claim by the Gunners in injury time was ignored by the match referee. Everton held out for a precious 2 – 1 win, and also ease the pressure on Dutch Manager, Ronald Koeman who has been on a miserable run of one win in 10 matches. Their only major headache is that they will be without Captain Phil Jagielka in their next match after he was shown a second yellow and then a red for pulling back Arsenal’s Luca Perez in injury time.
The result leaves Arsenal still on second position on the league table, 3 points behind Chelsea, but the Stamford Bridge team could extend their lead at the top to 6 points if they beat Sunderland on Wednesday. Everton moves to 7th on the league table with the result.
In the other match played on Tuesday, Leicester City lost 1 – 0 to Bournemouth through a goal scored in the first half by Marc Pugh. With this result, the Premier League defending champions shaky run in away games continues. It was though that their impressive hammering of Manchester City 4 – 2 at the weekend would have rejuvenated their performance this season.
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