Arsenal secured a vital 2-0 win against Everton, moving them level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. The victory, established through goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães, keeps the reigning champions in close pursuit of the league leaders following City’s earlier defeat to Aston Villa. 31 of these have come against Arsenal, more than against any other opponent.
For Everton manager David Moyes, the trip to north London proved another unhappy occasion. Now in his 14th visit to the stadium as Everton boss, he has managed only two wins in 35 encounters. The visitors were missing Jack Grealish due to illness and Jarrad Branthwaite, and they struggled to contain an Arsenal side that commanded play despite significant rotation following their mid-week Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich. Sporting a dark-blue baseball cap to shield him from the incessant rain, Moyes must have feared the worst as yet another Arsenal corner – 10 alone in the first half – was launched into the box. Even if they defended for their lives at times, this was hardly a vintage performance from Arteta’s clinical side but it didn’t need to be against opponents who offered precious little in attack. Tyrique George curled wide at the other end soon after as the visitors didn’t allow their heads to drop. Yet his defence just about stood firm. He couldn’t believe it when the referee Tony Harrington penalised him for a foul on James Tarkowski and Arteta earned himself a booking for protesting. Moyes’s frustration meant he joined Arteta in the referee’s notebook.
Arsenal took an early lead in the seventh minute. After a corner—the third in quick succession—Gabriel forced a save from Jordan Pickford, and while the ball struck the woodwork, Vitaliy Mykolenko failed to clear, allowing Konsa to bundle the ball home. This marked Arsenal’s first set-piece goal, excluding penalties, since their May meeting with Crystal Palace, concluding a 13-game drought. A second in succession will only add to Moyes’s concerns after confirmation that the club’s American owners want out, having gone six matches without defeat to start the season.
Mikel Arteta’s side faced defensive pressure in flashes, but Everton could not convert. Ben White nearly conceded an equalizer just before halftime, but Thierno Barry failed to capitalize on the opportunity. Arsenal remained a threat throughout, with Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze testing the visitors. In the second half, despite efforts from Merlin Röhl and a late header from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Everton remained scoreless. Gabriel ultimately sealed the result, nodding in from a precise Ben White cross shortly after the hour mark. With Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke spurning good opportunities in front of the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, arsenal continued to look dangerous from set pieces and open play. Madueke was left out of the last squad but could benefit from Saka’s absence and he was inches away with an instinctive effort with his right foot from the edge of the box on the half-hour mark. It took less than 60 seconds for Gabriel to head in at the back post as White offered Tuchel a timely reminder of his qualities with a brilliant cross.
The match was highlighted by several statistical milestones
- With both Arsenal and Manchester City maintaining this pace, this season marks only the third time in top-flight history that two clubs have won at least seven of their opening eight matches, following similar records in 1892-93 and 1913-14.
- The defeat represented the 400th loss of David Moyes’s managerial career across all competitions; 31 of these losses have been against Arsenal, his most frequent opponent in defeat.
- Ezri Konsa’s opening goal was Arsenal’s first non-penalty set-piece goal since May against Crystal Palace, snapping a 13-match streak without a score from such situations.
Arteta was forced to navigate the match without Bukayo Saka, who is sidelined with a thigh injury until mid-December. Viktor Gyökeres, making his first Premier League start, worked hard but struggled to make a decisive impact before being replaced as Arsenal utilized their bench to ensure the victory remained intact.
