Arsenal 0-0 Everton
EMIRATES STADIUM —Everton have shown the rest of the Premier League how it’s done: prevent Arsenal from scoring from set-pieces and you’ll stop them completely.
The Gunners’ spell as dead ball monsters always felt a bit incongruous, an affront to the intricate, free-flowing style that their teams, through various ups and downs, have been synonymous with over the past 30 years – a violent lurch into pure unadulterated Anti-Wenger-Ball.
It has been a wild ride. In recent weeks, Arsenal supporters have celebrated the awarding of corners as though they were last-minute winners, jubilantly chanted “set piece again, ole ole,” after each goal scored via that method and even painted up a mural of set play specialist Nicolas Jover in the vicinity of their home ground.
There is much merit to mastering that tactic and Arsenal have benefited handsomely from it. They have scored more goals from corners and free-kicks than any other team in the division since the start of last season. It has been and will likely remain a hugely effective weapon.
The problem is that recently has become their only weapon. Their prowess from such situations has masked deficiencies that have crept in elsewhere.
Arsenal have gone over three and a half games – 346 minutes in total – without scoring from open play in the Premier League since Kai Havertz netted the fourth in a 5-2 win over West Ham at the end of November.
Arteta was asked whether that record was a concern, to which he responded. “In the Premier League. We scored three goals from open play [against Monaco in the Champions League] on Wednesday.”
That may be but it will be a growing concern. They have 15 open play goals this season, a tally bettered by seven other clubs in the league including 19th placed Wolves.
Brentford, the leaders in that table, have scored nine times more in one fewer game. It’s as if Arsenal have forgotten how to score when the ball is not airborne.
Initially, they managed to craft some opportunities and had they converted any of those early openings the narrative would have been different and the outcome would likely have been much more positive.
Martin Odegaard could have had a hat-trick in the opening half an hour but his usually reliable left foot let him down. The Norwegian’s trademark goal is a first-time sweeping finish from just inside the box; on this occasion, he uncharacteristically scooped it well over the bar.
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Jordan Pickford kept Arsenal at bay (Photo: Reuters)
Arsenal’s captain then dragged another attempt wide before missing the best chance Arsenal had all day when James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford combined to keep him at bay.
Pickford made an even better stop to deny his England international teammate Bukayo Saka at the start of the second half, diving to his left to paw a volley around the post.
Bizarrely taunted with “you’re just a s**t Aaron Ramsdale,” chants by Arsenal fans behind his goal in the first half, Pickford earned the last laugh as well as a comedy yellow card for hoofing the ball away in a sensational moment of shithousery as the visitors dug in for their point.
Everton also had to survive a late scramble from a corner, but otherwise, they were pretty comfortable, dealing effectively with the majority of Arsenal’s eight corners into the box.
Their defensive efforts pleased their manager. “Their starting eleven today was miles bigger than ours physically,” pointed out Sean Dyche after.
Everton have been a team of extremes at the back this season, keeping six clean sheets – a total that only Liverpool (with seven) can better – while also conceding three or more goals in five separate occasions. Arsenal caught them on one of their good days.
The Toffees made life difficult, sitting deep and daring their hosts to break them down. With so many bodies congregated in the middle of the pitch, Arsenal were forced to funnel the ball out wide and sling crosses into the box, a tactic that suited Everton’s backline just fine. They sent in 28 deliveries from out wide, a big increase on their season average of 20.
When Arsenal were able to penetrate through the blue wall, they were faced by Pickford in inspired form.
Arteta’s decision to take off Odegaard with the score level and over half an hour to play looked like an odd decision and so it proved as Arsenal’s invention from central areas disappeared completely. They created only two chances in the 32 minutes played without Odegaard on the pitch.
“It was a tactical decision,” confirmed Arteta after the game. Ethan Nwaneri, Odegaard’s replacement, was unable to influence proceedings and Arsenal’s game lacked subtlety without their skipper.
Arsenal have been imperious at home for a prolonged period, winning 18 of their last 23 league matches at the Emirates. Their failure to do so on Saturday will irk Arteta, even more so considering Liverpool also dropped points at home against Fulham.
They can ill afford many more slip-ups in their pursuit of the title. Rediscovering their killer instinct will be imperative.