Everton headed down the M1 to meet up with their former midfielder Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team. To say that this was a big ask for the Blues would be an understatement as they had only one win in their last thirty visits to the Emirates.
David Moyes was also positive at his press conference and was adamant that his side needed to take full advantage of the lack of a midweek fixture. He said, “We’re looking forward to it. They’ve had a game in midweek. We have to try to maybe capitalise on their
extra game.”
Team News
David Moyes had two changes forced onto him with Jack Grealish missing due to sickness, while Jarrad Branthwaite was not in the squad due to concussion protocols. After two difficult outings, Ainsley Maitland-Niles was dropped with Merlin Rohl taking his place. Jake O’Brien was given a chance to partner Tarkowski at the back.
Bukayo Saka was missing as Mikel Arteta made five changes to the side that drew with Bayern Munich. Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres all came into the starting line-up.
Match Report
Tony Harrington was the man in the middle as the grey skies provided a steady rain. Arteta and Moyes embraced each other warmly before kickoff. Everton were in their all-blue strip as they took a knee to show their stand against racism.
Arsenal dominated the early stages of the match, applying heavy pressure that culminated in an opening goal just six minutes in. Following a chaotic scramble from their third corner of the game, Ezri Konsa poked the ball home to give the Gunners an early 1-0 lead. Arsenal continued to control long stretches of play, threatening to double their lead through attempts from Madueke, Rice, and Merino, though wayward finishing and resolute defending kept them at bay.
Everton slowly worked to find a foothold in the contest, relying on organized possession and industrious defensive work off the ball. Jake O’Brien proved vital at the back with crucial blocks to deny Rice and Gyokeres, while Merlin Rohl, Tarkowski, and Mykolenko also made key interventions. The Toffees struggled to create clean openings against a disciplined Arsenal defense, though they did manage a few half-chances through a deflected curling shot by George and a promising header by Barry that was narrowly stopped by goalkeeper Raya.
As the half progressed, the game began to open up and play into Arsenal’s hands, leading to sustained pressure around the Everton box. The hosts managed to weather the storm, highlighted by a strong block from Mykolenko against Odegaard and Pickford punching away a dangerous free-kick. Everton’s best opportunity arrived near the end of the half when a stray header back to Raya left the Arsenal keeper scrambling to clear Barry’s header with his foot, ensuring the Gunners maintained their slim 1-0 advantage into the halftime break.
Despite a resolute second-half defensive display from Everton—highlighted by key interventions from James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford—Arsenal maintained their attacking pressure through continuous set-piece opportunities, eventually forcing the decisive moment of the match.
The defining moment came when Ben White delivered a precise cross into the penalty area, where Gabriel Magalhães rose to head the ball into the net. Although there was brief uncertainty surrounding a potential offside, a quick VAR review confirmed the goal. Both managers turned to their benches in response, with Mikel Arteta introducing five substitutes—including Riccardo Calafiori, Bruno Guimarães, and Kai Havertz—to see out the match, while David Moyes brought on fresh attacking options like Tyler Dibling and Hayden Hackney.
Everton pushed for a late equalizer, creating late chances through Hayden Hackney and a close header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Arsenal’s defense held firm through eight minutes of added time. The match concluded with Arsenal effectively managing the final stages to seal the win, leaving Everton empty-handed on their trip to the capital.
Everton’s Man of the Match
Harrison Armstrong – With so few chances going forward and another solid performance from Tarkowski, it would be easy to overlook the midfield work of Harrison Armstrong. The young midfielder was all action from the first to the last minute. He was a willing runner going forward and he defended resolutely when required. He covered the most distance in the match and had the most defensive contributions.
Instant Reaction
Everton’s record at the Emirates is brutal and anyone who expected to get something from the match were up against some serious odds. When the early goal went in, that hill was even steeper. The work from the team for the next 70 minutes was quite good and their efforts kept Arsenal at bay. When there was still only a goal in it, Arsenal made 3 changes and Moyes did nothing. The Gunners score and the match was over. We showed some more quality when we did make changes after the second, but that was too little, too late.
Thierno Barry worked so hard but was so isolated. The young striker may receive some criticism for his struggle with finishing but there is no questioning his commitment. He never dropped his head or complained. Goals will come and days like today will also happen.
After last week’s disappointing first loss of the season to Chelsea, Moyes has been the focus of much disdain from the supporters for his preference to sit back and let Chelsea control the match. His lineup was criticized for being unprepared and his substitutions only made things worse. David Moyes had a W11 D28 L83 record as a manager in the Premier League and against top six opponents on the road. Today was no different as his comments before the match focused on survival. He needs to be more of a motivator and his message needs to be better.
