Arsenal undone at Everton by new manager bounce

 

Everton 1 Arsenal 0   
Premier League   
Saturday 4th February 2023 12.30pm    

Before the game, the big screen at Goodison Park refreshed our memories with highlights of the 2-1 win back in the autumn of 2002 that announced Wayne Rooney to the world as Everton beat reigning champions Arsenal 2-1 with a late goal past a pony-tailed David Seaman in his final season at the club. The Gunners had not lost away from home in the league since the 2000-01 campaign, and it meant the end of that run, the dropped points ultimately costing heavily come the following May. Twenty seasons on, yesterday’s match could prove to be an omen.

 

There were justified concerns about the prospect of the new manager bounce with Sean Dyche taking over from Frank Lampard. Everton’s approach surprised nobody. They were committed, worked hard, generally played on the counter-attack and broke the game up in a variety of ways that the referee allowed them to, not least lying down injured when Arsenal were about to attack. None of these were head injuries, but the referee stopped the game to make sure, and often no physio was required. I think the game would be improved by rugby style physios being allowed to enter the field while play continues, no stoppage unless the physio indicates a stretcher is required and the player then has to be substituted for medical reasons. If the physio makes a deliberate attempt to interfere with play, then an automatic penalty to the other side is awarded. Because even if football switched to basketball style timing, this pretending to be injured tactic can still kill momentum. It certainly did at Goodison yesterday.

 

From early on, in terms of Arsenal getting the required result, it was a question of how to unpick the lock of Everton’s deep, determined defending. There were two chances of serious note in the opening half. Nketiah had a glorious chance but hit it high and wide. Awful. Saka beat Pickford with a volley only to see it cleared off the line. Aside from that they were widely negated. Everton should have been ahead by the interval. An easy header for Doucoure was an excellent chance, and before that, Calvert Lewin was centimetres away from applying a touch to a ball across the face of the goal. 

 

However, the warning was a succession of Everton corners, all delivered to the back post. Dyche had presumably worked out that the Gunners were not strong here, and so it proved in the second half. No question Everton had the best chances in this game. Arsenal failed to create many clear-cut ones and when they did get efforts in, too often they were wayward. At 0-0 after the interval, Nketiah did well to tee up Odegaard but his effort sailed over the bar. 

 

One assumes Partey was replaced by Jorginho shortly before the winning goal because of injury concerns, given he was taken off at half time against Manchester City in the FA Cup. The downside of this is that Jorginho is not exactly tall and it weakens the team at set pieces. Not that the Italian was to blame for the Everton goal that followed soon after he and Trossard entered the game (the latter for Martinelli). It was Odegaard who neither challenged for the ball nor held off Tarkowski, who was free to head the ball into the net. Dyche provided a template for relegation zone teams to overcome Arsenal. It sure wasn’t pretty, nobody ever thought it would be, but the home fans, starved of success, were delighted simply to see the level of intensity, commitment and a rare three points from their team.

 

It was a bad day at the office for Arteta’s players. Two defeats in a row isn’t wonderful for the psychology, even if the Cup exit at the Etihad was no real surprise. We will only be able to judge the significance of the Everton defeat with time, and fortunately, of the Gunners next eight league fixtures, only the visit of Manchester City looks like a game they should be seriously concerned about, if they can return to winning ways with the home match against Brentford. Then again, you’d have liked to think a visit to a side battling against relegation should have been a breeze. Football of course, is never that simple.

 

Arsenal were rattled by Everton’s approach and individual errors often led to the latter’s chances in open play. It was a match in which, uncharacteristically, it felt like they were rarely in control, regardless of the possession stats. The attacks felt a little predictable, and at times, the ball was not moved quickly enough. A few more on the floor pot shots might have seen deflections – this can pay dividends against massed ranks of defensively-minded players. Trossard had a couple of attempts after coming on – one at least on target that forced a save, although the other was in the high, wide and not so handsome category. 

 

You had the feeling that once Everton went ahead, it was going to be one of those frustrating afternoons. Arsenal will face Dyche’s team again before the season’s out in the re-arranged home fixture, so it will be interesting to see what they have learned from yesterday. For now though, it’s simply a matter of regrouping, getting the title challenge back on track and beating Brentford, ahead of the visit of Manchester City four days later.

 

One thing is key in the remainder of the campaign. Even if they are overtaken by City, the higher Arsenal can finish, the better the picture is financially, related to Champions League income (from here, they really shouldn’t blow top four). And in the face of the funds behind Manchester City and Newcastle, the club need to get things right in terms of their use of funds if they are to have any chance of recapturing past glories. 

 

Nobody should give up on the title because of one defeat. But the lessons from this match need to be learned. At times, Arsenal will meet teams that take a physical approach without worrying about finesse. Dyche’s tactics may be a bit of a relic, but it’s a case of needs must for Everton, which is why they’ve brought him in. Arsenal may have had 70% of the possession, but the home side had the better chances. That is because they defended better. Perhaps it is significant that Arsenal’s previous dropped points were at home to Newcastle, who – although technically better than Everton – set out to frustrate their opponents. Nketiah has done well in certain games, but the reality is that with a more clinical centre forward, the Gunners would surely have more points in the bag. So it goes.

 

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