Arsenal 0 – 0 Everton
Everton denied Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Arsenal a further 2 points with a defensive masterclass at The Emirates on Saturday afternoon.
With only one new injury concern beyond James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam, who are still sidelined, Sean Dyche fields a line-up with just one change: Harrison in for McNeil. whose knee injury flared up again.
Abdoulaye Doucouré continued in the No 10 role behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with Ndiaye nd Harrison on the flanks and Orel Mangala partnering Idrissa Gana Gueye in central midfield.
On the bench, Armando Broja will be keen to build on his hugely promising cameo, and Harrison Armstrong – both very keen to get game time for different reasons. Michael Keane returns to the bench after his minor knee issue but no room for Youssef Chermiti.
The game started in all-too-familiar fashion: Gana back to Pickford for the big hoof to concede possession. It rapidly became exceedingly dull, with Arsenal playing pass the parcel in midfield, Everton chasing shadows.
Pickford played their first goal-kick out from the back and almost became a cropper before they got the ball forward and into the path of Docucure who had plenty of space and time to score Everton’s opening goal… So he waited until Gabriel came storming across to block his shot behind for a corner that Everton then wasted.
Martinelli advanced, winning a corner off Tarkwski, Pickford punching clear over the crowd. The next Gunners move found Ødegaard who fired over. Arsenal fell for the offside trap a couple of times. Ndiaye tried to break forward but was very easily muscled off the ball.
A better Arsenal move found Saka and Tarkowski did brilliantly to block it. Branthwaite then gave away an unintentional corner that was well cleared but Gana was too easily robbed of the ball and the slow Gunners build-up recommenced after brief contact for Calvert-Lewin who shockingly gifted it straight back to the home side.
Saka forced a very cheap free-kick off Mykolenko, who had barely touched his arm. Zonal marking in extremis, but Tarkowski tracked and headed the ball behind for Arsenal’s third corner, again cleared, but no-one upfield to benefit.
Calvert-Lewin did his hold-up job well but Everton only went backwards until eventually hoofing it into no-man’s land – a total lack of any kind of attempt at forward play.
A ball in to Ødegaard was solidly blocked behind by Branthwaite for another corner that Pickford again punched clear. Saka finally beat his Blue defenders, laying it back perfectly for Ødegaard who saw his shot blocked onto Pickford and careening away over the bar. Another corner cleared as half-an-hour passed, but not without a crazy head-volleyball moment in the Everton penalty area.
A rare foray into the Arsenal half saw Ndiaye try to feed Doucoure but they were easily crowded out and the slow torture resumed, Everton playing a little further up the field without creating any attack.
Arsenal reduced the game to a walk at times, and it almost lulled Everton into a mistake at the back. Harrison’s first involvement won a throw-in near the corner flag but his subsequent cross was easily cleared.
Rice and Martinelli almost broke through, Pickford making a vital stop. Rare advanced Blues possession ended with a terrible cross to the far post, overhit out by Harrison.
Half-time on a brilliant defensive exposition by Sean Dyche’s stalwarts saw that point they started with still in Blue hands…
Pickford pulled off a brilliant reaction save at the near post after Ødegaard headed back for a snapshot from Saka to start the second half. Everton almost got forward to threaten in response, Calvert-Lewin playing winger, unable to cross to himself.
But it looked briefly like a different game, with both managers perhaps giving their charges a right rollicking, but for very different reasons. Branthwaite very nearly put Pickford in trouble with a poor backpass, the big defender worryingly feeling his hamstring.
Havertz almost got through but there was Branthwaite to clear when he stumbled on the ball. Mykolenko was being tormented by Saka but still just about stalling him. The ball fell to Saka again for a snapshot that Tarkowski blocked yet again.
Everton continued to live on the edge, Arteta making the first changes to try and force that mistake. Saka did brilliantly to get close but Pickford did very well to clear his dangerous low cross. Early changes too for Dyche, but they were like-for-like.
Saka worked hard for a cross but it sailed over Havertz at the far post as Arteta made two more changes. Jesus got beyond Mykolenko but there was no-one at the back post, and they had gone offside. Pickford’s punt found Lindstrøm but he easily surrendered the ball.
Trossard came on but his corner was duly repelled. Mykolenko trod on Saka’s foot and the ball in sailed past everyone. Pickford stupidly kicked the ball way after Arsenal were offside, a petulant act taken as time-wasting by Pawson.
Into the last 10 minutes of normal time, Arsenal becoming increasingly concerned. Broja was next to get a stupid booking trying to stall an Arsenal free-kick.
Ndiaye went on a great run… ultimately to nowhere. Trossard put in a brilliant cross but somehow the Everton defenders were again perfectly positioned to block it away. Another Trossard cross crucially headed behind by Branthwatie for the corner and for a moment it looked like pinball but there were enough Blue shirts to put Saliba off.
Lindstrøm did brilliantly to get the ball off Trossard only to then stumble over it and put it out of play as he tried to break forward. Mykolenko did brilliantly to take the ball off Thomas Partey who crumbled and wanted the penalty, but VAR said No.
And it was Everton who won a late corner in added time, Lindstrøm to the back post but Tarkowski could not do much with it and Raya made his first save of the game.
The Blues had held out brilliantly, Sean Dyche going home with the point he had at the start of this anti-football masterclass, with Everton still unbeaten in Dreadful Disasterous Doom-laden December.
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly (69′ Thomas); Rice (62′ E Nwaneri), Merino (69′ Jesus), Ødegaard (62′ Jorginho); Saka, Martinelli (74′ Trossard).
Subs not Used: R Sterling, Neto, Tierney, Kiwior.
Everton: Pickford [Y:78′], Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young [Y73′], Ndiaye, Mangala, Dououre, Gueye, Harrison (66′ Lindstrøm), Calvert-Lewin (66′ Broja [Y:81′]).
Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Coleman, Armstrong.