David Hytner’s match report has dropped, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails - bye!
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Key events
Tom Davies speaks “We’re disappointed. First half we were very good and had good shape, but if you don’t take chances they’ll punish you here. Their goals were a sucker punch really. We’ve worked hard all week and we did put a good shift in, but it’s not enough. It’s a proud moment for me [to be Everton’s youngest ever captain in the league] and I’d love to continue. I feel like it’s a natural role for me to take on.”
That was a strange moment on Sky Sports. The interview Geoff Shreeves asked Alexandre Lacazette how big a debt the team owed to Petr Cech for the victory. Lacazette said, ‘Big big thanks to Petr Cech, because today he takes (i.e. saves) a lot of balls, so for the first time we have a clean sheet.’
And then Shreeves told him to be ‘steady with the language’!
That’s Arsenal’s fourth consecutive league win, and they have a decent run of fixtures in the next month or so:
- Watford (H)
- Fulham (A)
- Leicester (H)
- Crystal Palace (A)
It’s on! (NB: I’m not equally sure what ‘it’ is.)
Full time: Arsenal 2-0 Everton
Peep peep! Arsenal move up to sixth after keeping their first clean sheet under Unai Emery. It was an erratic performance, but two goals in three minutes just after half-time flattened a hitherto impressive Everton. The first, from Alexandre Lacazette, was a cracker; Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal was palpably offside.
90+3 min Xhaka swishes a lovely long-range shot a few yards wide of the far post.
90+1 min Four added minutes.
90 min “You’re coming across as rather negative wrt Arsenal - five wins in a row since Man City and Chelsea, many différent scorers etc,” says Andrew Hurley. “Yes, their squad needs reincorcements but credit is due... (remember United and Moyes?)”
Oh, I wasn’t deliberately being negative, I just don’t think they’ve played particularly well. You can see what Emery is trying to do, though, and the first goal was a beauty. I’ve also taken a shine to Joe Pesci in midfield.
88 min Lucas Torreira looks like an absolutely horrible piece of work to play against. I say that with the greatest admiration. If he doesn’t get in trouble with officious English referees, he’ll be a brilliant signing.
85 min Tosun blasts a 20-yard shot that is punched away by Cech, falling to his right. Moments later, Digne’s cross hits the outside of the near post.
83 min Bernard carefully tees up Sigurdsson, whose rising drive from 20 yards is deflected over the bar. Nothing comes of the corner.
82 min Zouma makes a fine block from Welbeck’s shot. Everton have given this up.
80 min Arsenal make their last change, with Danny Welbeck replacing Aaron Ramsey.
78 min Both players are fine to continue.
77 min Mustafi and Richarlison are down after a collision. It looks like a head injury to Richarlison.
74 min Lucas Torreira looks the kind of defensive midfielder Arsenal have needed for a while. He is, to an use an Everton phrase, a little dog of war. All hail Torreira the terrier.
72 min A double change for Everton: Cenk Tosun and Bernard replace Theo Walcott and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
71 min Sigurdsson lofts a free-kick towards Keane, whose downward header is shovelled round the post by Cech. That’s another excellent save.
71 min A win would take Arsenal up to sixth, which I suppose is their par position in the league at the moment.
70 min Calvert-Lewin makes a smart run to beat the offside trap and crosses to Richarlison, whose shot is blocked by Bellerin.
68 min An Arsenal substitution: Alex Iwobi replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
67 min Everton’s heads have gone down since the second goal, and if they’re not careful the scoreline could get a bit seedy.
65 min Bellerin’s long-range shot is comfortably saved by Pickford.
63 min “Ah, I’m not one to brag about sporting achievements that, in all honesty, I contributed very little to,” says Matt Dony. “I’ve spent too much time with too many United fans to ever do that. (Ouch! Someone call the special burns unit!) I do miss that chuffing perch, though.”
What did George Graham do with that perch? He should put it on eBay.
61 min Six points in six games is a poor start for Everton but they have nothing to worry about. There’s a lot to admire in this team, and they will be even better once the summer signings are available. They need a high-class centre forward, though.
60 min ‘And Everton will go mad, and they have every right to go mad.’
Aubameyang was a mile offside when he scored. After a slip from Zouma, Arsenal had a three-on-one break led by Ozil. He tried to give the goal to Ramsey, who got in a bit of a tangle and ended up diverting the ball to Aubameyang. He had a simple finish from six yards, though replays showed it was a really poor decision from the assistant referee to give the goal. A shocker, in fact.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Everton (Aubameyang 59)
Two goals in three minutes!
It was a great finish from Lacazette, an impromptu tribute to Thierry Henry. Ramsey found him in space on the left side of the box. He moved the ball onto his right foot and whipped a rising curler that slammed off the inside of the post and into the net. Pickford had no chance.
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Everton (Lacazette 56)
Pick that out!
55 min Arsenal appeal desperately for a penalty when Aubameyang’s header hits the hand of Kenny. They were very close to each other and I’m not sure Kenny could have got out of the way.
54 min Everton have started the second half very well, and if they play with a bit more precision they are in serious danger of winning away to Arsenal for the first time Babylon Zoo were a thing.
50 min “Still seems odd to see Arsenal moving the ball down the wings and launching in corners,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “It’s like archaeologists discovering the end of an ancient empire, or more prosaically as startling as a man who sees something move in his wastepaper basket.”
49 min Walcott, sporting a black eye, concedes a corner. Ozil and Ramsey try the old Beckham/Scholes routine; Ramsey’s half-volley from 25 yards is well struck but too close to Pickford.
47 min “Your Copestakes and your Donys are exactly why so many fans say they dread Liverpool winning the title,” says Ian Copestake. “Supposedly you just would never hear the last of it whatever the month.”
I’m already haunted by Steve McMahon’s smug, bellicose coupon should Liverpool win the league, and it hasn’t even happened.
46 min Peep peep! Arsenal begin the second half.
“Are you sure it has all been Everton so far, Mr. Smyth?” says Bill Hargreaves. “The stats say otherwise. (Said in the voice of the verger on ‘Dad’s Army.)”
I wouldn’t say all Everton, but they’ve been the more purposeful team and have had most of the chances.
Half-time reading
Half time: Arsenal 0-0 Everton
I told you there’d be goals.
45+1 min Lucas, already booked, is not penalised for a late tackle on Digne. That might have been a second yellow card. Marco Silva is 0.00 per cent enamoured with the decision, and generously shares his take on things with Unai Emery. For what it’s worth - nowt - I think it should have been a free-kick but not a second yellow.
45 min Three added minutes.
44 min Another lovely break from Everton. Sigurdsson belts a long crossfield pass to Walcott, who cushions it back to Richarlison. He surges towards the area, moves the ball away from Holding and Bellerin and hits a rising left-footed shot that is pawed over by Cech. Good save.
43 min Here’s Ian Copestake. “I am sure (because I suffer from the same thing) Matt Dony’s display of presumed giddiness is in fact utter fear driven by exactly the traumas you so indelicately referred back to.”
It’s September!
42 min Aubameyang’s mis-hit cross from the left loops over Pickford and hits the face of the bar! Pickford made like he had it covered but I’m not sure he did.