Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 on Saturday to pull level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, rediscovering their taste for set-piece goals at a rainswept Emirates.
Ezri Konsa bundled the ball into the net in the opening minutes for his first goal for the club since joining from Aston Villa in August.
Fellow centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes doubled the home side’s lead midway through the second period.
The win meant Arsenal took full advantage of City’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park in Saturday’s kick-off — the first time Enzo Maresca’s men had dropped points this season.
Both teams are now on 21 points, but City, the Gunners’ main title rivals in recent seasons, have a superior goal difference.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was forced to shuffle his pack after Bukayo Saka suffered a muscle injury in the midweek Champions League draw at Bayern Munich, picking Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze as his wide players.
Arteta was already short of wingers, with Christos Tzolis still sidelined and both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard sold during the summer transfer window.
The home team started strongly and took the lead in the seventh minute after their third corner, following a scramble in the box.
Martin Odegaard’s inswinging delivery was flicked on by Gabriel. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford got his fingertips to the bouncing ball but it fell to Konsa, who poked it home at the back post.
Set-piece kings
It was the first non-penalty set-piece goal in all competitions in the current campaign for Arsenal — who earned a reputation last season as set-piece kings as they won their first Premier League title in a generation.
Everton responded positively. Tyrique George’s shot was deflected behind by Ben White but Arsenal were largely in control.
Madueke, recently deemed surplus to requirements by the watching England boss Thomas Tuchel, impressed on the right wing, spinning and hitting the side netting on the half-hour mark.
Arsenal had a major scare as the clock ticked towards half-time when a careless header from Ben White back to his goalkeeper David Raya was intercepted by Thierno Barry, but the Everton forward was unable to make clean contact and Raya made the save.
Gunners midfielder Mikel Merino flashed a header over the bar in the closing moments of the half, which ended with 13 shots and 10 corners for the home side, but just the solitary goal.
Gabriel went down in pain 10 minutes after the restart, stretching to intercept the ball, but was able to resume after treatment on the pitch.
Arteta made a triple substitution in the 68th minute, bringing on Kai Havertz, Bruno Guimaraes and Riccardo Calafiori.
Moments later they were 2-0 ahead when Gabriel rose to head home White’s cross after a neatly worked move down the right.
Teenager Max Dowman, who became the youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer in the same fixture last season, was introduced for the final 10 minutes.
Everton almost pulled a goal back when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall flashed a header just wide of Raya’s post but that was the last major scare on a satisfactory day for Arsenal.
AFP
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