Arsenal 2-0 Everton: Konsa and Gabriel Keep Pace With Man City
An early set-piece goal and a back-post header put Arsenal level on 21 points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates on Saturday, 24 October, with a goal in the seventh minute from Ezri Konsa and a second from Gabriel just before the 70th minute. The win lifts them to 21 points from eight league games, level with Manchester City, who ESPN reports lost 2-1 at Aston Villa earlier in the day. Arsenal sit second only on goal difference.
An early set piece
The opener came from a dead ball. According to ESPN's match report, Gabriel headed a delivery from Martin Ødegaard toward goal; it took a deflection, hit the crossbar off Jordan Pickford, and Konsa put away the rebound at the back post. Just Arsenal's account describes the move as coming from a corner and says Everton failed to clear after the crossbar was hit. The sources differ slightly on the build-up, but agree on the scorer and the minute. ESPN described it as Arsenal's first set-piece goal of the season and Konsa's first since joining from Aston Villa.
Everton threaten, Raya answers
Arsenal led 1-0 at the interval, though not without a scare. ESPN reports that Thierno Barry's finish was saved by David Raya in the 44th minute after a poor header back from Ben White. Everton also forced Raya into a save from Garner's long-range effort, and Tyrique George's shot deflected off White and narrowly missed the post. At the other end, Noni Madueke fired wide twice, filling in for the injured Bukayo Saka, who is out with a quad problem picked up in midweek at Bayern Munich.
Gabriel needed treatment early in the second half but returned. Just Arsenal reports that Mikel Arteta then introduced Bruno Guimarães, Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz.
The second goal
Guimarães played a part in the decisive moment. ESPN says the substitute slipped Ben White down the right, and White's cross found an unmarked Gabriel at the back post, who headed into the bottom-left corner. It came in his 200th Premier League appearance. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall headed wide from a Garner cross about seven minutes from time, the last real chance for Everton before Arsenal saw out a long period of added time.
What it means
Arteta made five changes after the 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich, and Viktor Gyökeres made his first league start of the season. ESPN notes it was Arsenal's ninth consecutive home league win and their seventh victory in eight league matches. Arsenal trail City only on goal difference.
For Everton, it is a second straight defeat after a 2-0 home loss to Chelsea, leaving them on 10 points. ESPN adds that they had won only once in their previous 21 visits to the Emirates.