Everton 0-1 Arsenal: Gyokeres penalty sees Gunners reclaim Premier League lead

Arsenal will head into Christmas in first place in the Premier League after they overcame Everton 1-0 on Saturday.

Match Report

Mikel Arteta's team found themselves in second place ahead of kick-off at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Manchester City moving above them after a 3-0 win over West Ham.

However, Viktor Gyokeres' 27th-minute penalty proved decisive against an Everton side missing key attackers Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

It was ultimately a moment of madness from Jake O'Brien that helped decide the contest, with the Everton defender inexplicably handling while trying to clear a Declan Rice corner.

Gyokeres lashed in the penalty, though that was one of just two shots on target that Arsenal managed, with Bukayo Saka seeing a shot cleared off the line in the second half.

A much-improved Everton wanted a penalty when Thierno Barry was clipped by William Saliba, but the VAR deemed there not to be enough contact to call referee Samuel Barrott to the screen.

The game opened up as Everton pushed for an equaliser, and Arsenal became a threat on the break. Leandro Trossard first hit the post after a sweeping move from the visitors before Martin Zubimendi also struck the woodwork from Saka's cutback.

But with Everton short of attacking threat, one goal did the job for Arsenal.

Data Debrief: Gyokeres stays perfect from the spot

Arsenal would have felt the win was deserved in the end, producing 1.81 expected goals (xG) from 13 shots to Everton's 0.2 from five attempts, but they left to be desired with their finishing in the final third.

It was an intense midfield battle, with Rice winning possession most often (10) and recording the most touches (114) and accurate passes (87), while Tim Iroegbunam, in for the absent Idrissa Gueye, won eight of his 10 duels and six of his seven tackles in the middle of the park.

Gyokeres, though, made the difference. Since the start of his first season with Sporting CP (2023-24), the Sweden international has converted all 19 penalties he has taken in league competition (17/17 in the Primeira Liga and 2/2 in the Premier League).

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

0' Home fans show huge tifo in Merseyside

15' 15 minutes in and neither team have had a shot yet

19' Zubimendi's shot flies to sky

20' Gyokeres' header wide out

23' Gyokeres goes down in box and no penalty

27' Penalty Goal! Gyökeres scores following O'Brien's handball! Everton 0-1 Arsenal

39' Yellow Card! Tarkowski booked

44' Great ball from Saliba to Gyokeres but great block by James Tarkowski

46' Calafiori on the deck. He fell awkwardly after a 50/50 aerial challenge

50' Highlight from Everton vs Arsenal

51' Tarkowski off the line and saves Everton. Saka with the shot

57' Saliba seems to have a foul in the box but ref says no pen

64' Great slick football from Arsenal leading up to that Trossard shot

65' Gyokeres off,  Jesus on

69' Zubimendi hits the woodwork

71' Match Event for Everton vs Arsenal

80' Trossard out,  Martinelli in

Line-ups

Everton XI: Pickford, Tarkowski, Keane, Grealish, Vitaliy Mykolenko, McNeil, Garner, Carlos Alcaraz, Jake O'Brien, Tim Iroegbunam, Thierno Barry

Subs: Tom King, Travers, Beto, Nathan Patterson, Reece Welch, Merlin Röhl, Tyler Dibling, Elijah Campbell, Aznou

Arsenal XI: Trossard, David Raya, Ødegaard, Rice, Viktor Gyökeres, Martín Zubimendi, Saliba, Saka, Timber, Calafiori, Hincapie

Subs: Christian Nørgaard, Kepa, Merino, Jesus, Eberechi Eze, Martinelli, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly