PREMIER LEAGUE

Everton vs Arsenal as it happened

Ayoola Kelechi 15:22 - 04 February 2023

Everton dug deep in Sean Dyche's first game to hand Arsenal their first loss in the Premier League since September thanks to a brilliant header from James Tarkowski

See what is being said about #EVEARS

League leaders Arsenal loses to relegation battling Everton. pic.twitter.com/Q50hDNW8IC
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) February 4, 2023

One word to describe the Arsenal 1-0 loss against Sean Dyche's Everton? 👀 pic.twitter.com/szDTHFnKBC
— Pulse Sports Nigeria (@PulseSportsNG) February 4, 2023

Amadou Onana's game by numbers vs Arsenal:

46 touches
8 possession won
7 duels won
2 chances created
2 tackles won
2 interceptions
1 shot

That's a MOTM performance. 😤 pic.twitter.com/WT3aw0glaE
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 4, 2023

This Manchester City comeback to make Arsenal go trophyless after all this hype is actually going to hit like crack in May, I’m going to be there no matter what
— Mod (@CFCMod_) February 4, 2023

Arsenal's last five trips to Goodison Park:

Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Everton 1-0 Arsenal pic.twitter.com/uJTBuNZrp7
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 4, 2023

Incredibly that is Everton's fifth win over Arsenal in the last six meetings between the sides. A real Achilles heel for the Gunners. It is also the third time that Arsenal have lost their first match after Mikel Arteta was named Manager of the month

97:00 FULL TIME Arsenal lose in the Premier League for the first time in the new year, while Everton win in the Premier League for the first time in the new year. Such is the duality of life.

94:00 Arguably the most hated man in Arsenal history, Neal Maupay, causing more problems as he is at the centre of fisticuffs while Everton try to run the game to a halt

89:00 Everton fans willing their team over the line now. They are cheering not only corners now, but every Everton touch. They will have to do it for 6 minutes of additional time

80:00 10 minutes to go and it is still 1-0 to Everton. Arsenal have not lost since September against Manchester United, but they have scarcely been this close to losing since then

Jorginho the...double agent?

Jorginho you are a legend pic.twitter.com/SH3O4gJQ3m
— Raf (@CFCRaf2) February 4, 2023

Jorginho came on and Arsenal conceded within a minute 😭😭😭

Once a blue, always a blue 💙 pic.twitter.com/kpMHYqmyc8
— TLV (@TheLampardView) February 4, 2023

Just in case you were wondering, the corner count is now 6 for Everton to Arsenal's

Goodison park erupts again as Everton get...ANOTHER corner

Well

Partey out , Jorginho in
1 minute later Everton is up by 1 goal
Jorginho has brought Chelsea’s bad luck to Arsenal 🥹🥲

#EVEARS pic.twitter.com/3aKPMoniUg
— Rowland🤍 (@Ghana_Ronaldo) February 4, 2023

A potentially huge goal at both ends of the table

James Tarkowski gives Everton the lead against Arsenal !!!

60’ Everton 1-0 Arsenal #EVEARS pic.twitter.com/On48YCB3Z5
— Ojora Babatunde (@ojbsports) February 4, 2023

GOAL ‼️

⚽ James Tarkowski heads in from the corner to give Everton the lead against the league leaders.

Everton *1-0 Arsenal#PulseSports #EVEARS
— Pulse Sports Nigeria (@PulseSportsNG) February 4, 2023

Now we know why the Everton fans were so excited about getting corners earlier in the game! James Tarkowski powers a header from Everton's fifth corner of the match to give them the lead against Arsenal.

60:00 GOAL EVERTON

Yet the scoreline reads 0-0

19th place Everton have created three (yes, THREE) big chances against the league leaders today, Arsenal have not created a single one

#IwobiWatch

Alex Iwobi’s first half by numbers vs. Arsenal:

100% dribbles completed
100% aeriall duels won
100% tackles won
18 touches
3 key passes
2/3 crosses completed
2/2 ground duels won
2 ball recoveries

Making a big impact. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NlKSW0PS0P
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 4, 2023

What he said

Everton marking Arsenal's defence 2v3 in buildup so they can get full man to man coverage in midfield +1 zonal man, and then pressing them relatively high. Gives them security if their press is broken while allowing them to contest high up
— Aaron Moniz (@amonizfootball) February 4, 2023

46:00 Everton with another good chance to score. Can someone remind them they are playing against the current league leaders?

45:00 We're back on the way at Goodison park with Everton in the ascendency against Arsenal

Maybe Everton's upturn in form has something to do with Dyche banning snoods and hats from Everton training

Sean Dyche has banned snoods & hats at Everton training. ❌

He said 🗣 "You train how you play, how can you train how you play if you have 14 snoods on, 15 hats and leggings, no shin pads, white socks, it’s not relevant."

Fair point. pic.twitter.com/quuEjUv9F0
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) February 4, 2023

45:00 +3 So far so good for Everton and Sean Dyche. 0-0 at the break. If the result stays the same, he will have taken points off Arsenal in five of his last six meetings with the Gunners.

HT: Everton 0-0 Arsenal

xG: 1.26-0.34
Shots: 8-5
Shots on target: 2-2
Touches in opp. box: 12-13
Possession: 25.8%-74.2%
Corners: 4-0

It's been a bright start from Sean Dyche's Everton. 🔵#EVEARS pic.twitter.com/kLPMN5CH3Z
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 4, 2023

38:50 Arsenal come close to taking the lead with a ferocious volley by Bukayo Saka, but it is blocked by Conor Coady. Pickford was not going to get to that

Both teams are in competition for the worst miss. Everton winning that contest so far

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1621857365392822272?s=20&t=t-AQitcmc0tRVdVxmHtcJw

33:00 Everton miss two chances in quick succession. First Calvert Lewin failed to connect with a good cross, and then Doucoure failed to get his header on target while unmarked in the six yard box.

Yes, Nketiah missed from there

📸 - What a chance for Nketiah but the shot is off target! pic.twitter.com/Nf4QX2nge0
— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) February 4, 2023

30:00 Just as we say that, Arsenal get the best chance of the game as Nketiah is found in space by Saka but somehow managed to clear the post (and maybe the stadium) with a wayward effort from inside the box

28:00 Everton taking control of proceedings to the joy of the home fans. They have now managed as many shots on target (2) as Arsenal have had in total

Everton have won just three of their 44 league games against sides starting the day top of the table, but that does include a 2-1 victory Against Arsenal in October 2002.

Arsenal are close to 100 wins against Everton, and in this form, it's hard to bet against them

A century of league wins 🆚 Everton? #BBCFootball #EVEARS pic.twitter.com/lXmMafiosZ
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) February 4, 2023

Now they have won four corners in a row, pinning Arsenal to their own box, the noise at Goodison is as you can imagine

20:00 Everton fans go wild as Everton...earn a corner. When you're in Everton's position on the table, I suppose you'll take what you can get.

Ouch

That's gotta hurt 😬#EVEARS pic.twitter.com/pytoVv7ltp
— LiveScore (@livescore) February 4, 2023

16:00 Some worry for Arsenal as Bukayo Saka is treated following a hand in the eye from Idrssa Gueye, but he's back on his feet and looks set to continue.

Arsenal with 74% possession in the opening exchanges, but we can't tell yet if this is Arsenal being their dominant selves, or Everton's new manager setting up a Dyche special

Turns out Calvert Lewin was offside anyway.

09:00 Everton come close to taking the lead, but Aaron Ramsdale does well to get between Dominic Calvert Lewin and a brilliant cross.

Both teams are struggling to impose themselves on the game, but Arsenal are finding some joy with their pacy wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Everton's Seamus Coleman at 34-years-old, would have sat this match out if he could.

Everton get us on the way in what we hope will be a worthwhile way to spend Saturday afternoon

00:00 KICK OFF

TEAM NEWS!! Everton revert to a very familiar Dyche-like 4-4-1-1 formation, with a midfield pairing of Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye, while Alex Iwobi finds himself back out on the right wing. Arsenal are in a very familiar 4-3-3 as well, with new signings Jorginho and Jakub Kuiwior only finding places on the bench

While Arsenal's Arteta has praised Everton's appointment of Sean Dyche in their difficult moment. “They have tried to accommodate the right character for the circumstance the club is in. What Sean and the coaching staff did at Burnley speaks for itself. With the limited resources they had, they got incredible results very consistently in this very tough league.
“I like the character a lot, the presence and the clarity he brings to his team."

Both managers have been full of praise for each other in their pre-game talks. Everton's Sean Dyche recognising Arsenal's incredible recent run "They’re having a very good time of it at the moment, but I think they’ve known us long enough from my previous club. I think they’ll know that I usually put out a team that are ready for the challenge, so I wouldn’t imagine that they’re underestimating the strength of our challenge."

Arsenal come into this on the back of manager Mikel Arteta winning his third Premier League Manager of the Month award, but Everton can be proud of their own manager as well since newly appointed Sean Dyche has taken over from Frank Lampard