Arsenal 2 – 0 Everton
Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League, with Ezri Konsa scoring in the 7th minute and Gabriel Magalhaes adding a second in the 68th.
Konsa opened the scoring from close range after a corner from Martin Odegaard was only half-cleared. It was his first Arsenal goal and Arsenal's first goal from a corner this season. Everton's best chance came at the stroke of half-time, with the score at 1-0, but their striker missed it, according to Sky Sports.
In the second half Gabriel was treated off the pitch for a leg injury and returned after the minimum minute away. Around the 65th minute Mikel Arteta was booked for protesting a foul given against Viktor Gyokeres. Shortly after his return, Gabriel headed in a spinning cross from the right at the back post to make it 2-0.
Late on, Everton headed just wide of the far post, a chance the pundit Paul Merson said would have made things interesting. Otherwise Everton struggled to create much, and Sky Sports said Arsenal deserved to win.
Arsenal began the day second on 18 points, three behind leaders Manchester City, and the win takes them to 21 points, level with the leaders at the top of the table. Everton were tenth on 10 points before the match.
Before kick-off
Arsenal, without Saka and Saliba, can draw level with City at the top against Everton
Arsenal look the stronger side with one side kept out and two goals or fewer in all.
Manchester City's defeat at Villa Park earlier on Saturday has left the top of the table open. City stay on 21 points, and a win against Everton would take Arsenal level with them.
Mikel Arteta has to manage it without Bukayo Saka, who had a scan on Friday and could miss up to eight weeks with a thigh injury, and without William Saliba, out with a back problem. Konsa starts beside Gabriel in one of five changes from Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich. Max Dowman, who became the league's youngest scorer against Everton in March, is on the bench, and Arteta says he will "for sure" get minutes.
Everton arrive ninth, a week after their first defeat of the season, 2-0 at home to Chelsea. David Moyes is without Jack Grealish, who is ill, and Jarrad Branthwaite, under concussion protocols, and said this week that talks over his own contract had been "a bit quiet".
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Everton, four wins and two draws, and Everton have not won the fixture since February 2023.
