Everton, whose colors Mikel Arteta defended as a player and of which he was even an emblem, sank this Saturday a little more the Arsenal of the Basque coach, which Carlo Ancelotti’s team won 2-1. While Everton was 2nd (5 points behind their eternal rival, Liverpool), the ordeal of the ‘gunners’ lived another chapter, since they have not won since last September 1, sowing more doubts about the future de Arteta in office, although so far the Arsenal leadership has expressed their support.
It was very difficult, as Everton and Arsenal themselves are, the challenge that the London team had before them in front of 2,000 spectators at Goodison Park on this 14th day, prior to Boxing Day. Ancelotti’s men are back in great form, like at the start of the season, when they were leaders. Arsenal, with many casualties (including that of its captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, due to injury) and in a great crisis of results, the opposite happens.
And indeed Everton took the lead already in the 22nd minute thanks to an own goal by Rob Holding after a shot by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. At 35 ‘Nicolas Pépé established 1-1 by converting a penalty, restoring hope to Arteta’s men. Tom Davies was the one who committed the maximum penalty, over Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
But it was a mirage. At the edge of the break, former Barcelona player Yerry Mina put Everton ahead after a cross from Gylfi Sigurdsson. It was, in the end, the winning goal that placed the Goodison Park team in 2nd place in the Premier League, because Arsenal’s reaction did not come. Joseph Willock had a very good chance to level the score, but couldn’t take advantage of it.
Pickford, heads, and tails: mistake and great save
Jordan Pickford made a mistake on an opportunity by David Luiz, in which the ball crashed into the post after a bad start from the goalkeeper, but he was brilliant at the end avoiding with a great save what could have been 2-2 after a Bukayu Saka’s shot. Desperately, Arsenal tried to save at least one point, but Everton was not surprised and is 5 points behind its neighbor Liverpool and the leadership of the Premier. For Arsenal, 15th in the table, it was their eighth defeat in the current English championship.
