The Gunners ended their six-year winless streak against the Toffees on Merseyside with a spirited victory at Goodison Park to continue their impressive start to the new campaign.
As Arsenal continued their stellar start to the season against Everton at Goodison Park, Leandro Trossard scored the decisive goal.
Midway through the second half, the Belgian winger scored a superb effort to give the Gunners their first victory on Merseyside in six years. Prior to VAR’s intervention, Gabriel Martinelli appeared to have given the Gunners the lead in the first half.
Trossard’s goal in the second half gave Arsenal their first lead of the game, and it was enough for them to win their fourth game in a row.
All of the talking points from Goodison Park are presented here.
1. VAR baffles Arsenal and Neville
After Martinelli’s opening goal was ruled to be illegal, Goodison Park saw more than a few puzzled looks. Commentator Gary Neville was one among those who was perplexed.
After Beto attempted to intercept Gabriel Magalhaes’ pass, the goal was scored. The ball then rebounded all the way to Eddie Nketiah, who inserted Fabio Vieira before the Portuguese midfielder skillfully released Martinelli.
The Brazilian slotted home with a flawless finish. However, Nketiah was found to have been slightly offside during the build-up, and the celebrations quickly ended.
Despite the fact that Beto’s touch was inadvertent and Arsenal felt wrong, the decision was the right one. Martinelli’s situation got worse when he was injured and had to be replaced right away.
2. Arteta’s Raya call untested
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, chose a team that stirred significant discussion among fans even before the game began. David Raya, a summer acquisition, took Aaron Ramsdale’s spot as the starting goalkeeper.
He clarified that the decision was taken as part of a rotation plan before a busy stretch of games. It is still unclear if the Spaniard made the right decision because he didn’t have much to do at Goodison Park.
Ramsdale is one man who could be feeling a little annoyed. The England goalkeeper’s benching will not help his chances of playing for his country, as Jordan Pickford, another member of the Three Lions, is excelling for Everton.
3. Trossard the ultimate impact sub
At Goodison, Arsenal had a difficult time for a long time dismantling their opponents. Aside from Martinelli’s goal that was ruled offside and Jordan Pickford’s excellent save on Martin Odegaard early in the first half, the Gunners lacked any true originality.
That is, up until Trossard hammered the opening goal in. The former Brighton player completed a superb move to unleash a powerful shot that hit the post.
Since relocating to the Emirates Stadium, it was just his third goal for the North London team. All three of those strikes, though, were substitutes, so he is already forming a positive habit. The fact that Arteta has players capable of having an effect is encouraging for a fresh title challenge.
4. Arsenal’s Everton hoodoo ends
The victory will undoubtedly be rewarding for the Gunners, but Arteta’s smile will be even larger given that it occurred at Goodison Park. One of several outcomes that lost Arsenal the Premier League championship last season was their loss at the same venue.
That emotion was not unfamiliar considering Everton has not beaten Arsenal since 2017. Additionally, they have only managed two goals at Goodison in that time.
The contest on Sunday was equally tense, and it appeared for a long time that the Gunners would lose their temper. Although it is far too early in the season to assume that a victory at Goodison Park will improve their prospects of winning the league, Arsenal can undoubtedly exhale with relief.
5. Calvert-Lewin finally returns
Everton will be disappointed that they couldn’t stop Arsenal from scoring despite keeping them at a distance for the entirety of the match. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s return to wearing a mask following his cheek injury is encouraging news for the Toffees, though.
Although the Toffees’ defense seems unflappable, their attack will be crucial to ensuring that they remain in the Premier League at the end of the year. Calvert-Lewin will make a significant difference in that.
After making his long-awaited comeback, he and Dyche will be keen for the striker to stay healthy. Beto also appears to be a significant alternative for Everton.