David Moyes’ search for a win at Arsenal’s home ground continues following a 2-0 defeat on his 14th visit to the stadium as Everton manager. The result allows Mikel Arteta’s side to draw level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, capitalising on City’s earlier loss to Aston Villa. While the performance may not have been among Arsenal’s best, the victory was rarely in doubt against an Everton side that struggled to threaten in attack. 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.
Everton’s dismal record at the venue persists, having now won only twice in 35 visits. The visitors were hampered by the absences of Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish, the latter ruled out due to illness. The breakthrough for the hosts arrived in the seventh minute following a sustained period of pressure from set pieces. Gabriel Magalhães connected with a corner, forcing Jordan Pickford to tip the ball onto the crossbar. Amid the ensuing scramble, a Vitaliy Mykolenko clearance attempt under pressure from Viktor Gyökeres allowed Ezri Konsa to hammer home the opening goal from close range.
Arteta had opted to rotate his squad, making five changes following their recent midweek clash against Bayern Munich. The lineup adjustment came at a cost, with Bukayo Saka sustaining a thigh injury that threatens to keep him sidelined until mid-December. Despite the rotation, key figures Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice continued their streak of starting every league match this season. In front of England manager Thomas Tuchel, players like Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke missed chances to extend the lead, with Madueke narrowly missing the target with a curling effort on the half-hour mark. 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.
Everton’s defensive efforts were tested by a constant barrage of corners—ten in the first half alone—but they managed to hold firm. Ben White nearly gifted the visitors an equaliser with a lapse of concentration just before the interval, but Thierno Barry failed to capitalise, unable to direct his flick past David Raya. Following the break, Everton showed brief signs of life, with a Merlin Röhl cross nearly catching out the Arsenal goalkeeper. 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.
The match turned decisively in the second half when Arteta made tactical changes. Shortly after Gyökeres was withdrawn, his replacement Gabriel—not to be confused with the earlier scorer Gabriel Magalhães—settled the contest. Within 60 seconds of his introduction, he headed home at the back post from a precise Ben White delivery. While Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall came close with a header that fizzed just past the post, Everton could not find a response, deepening the concerns for a club currently grappling with uncertainty surrounding its American ownership. 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.
