Everton followed up their thumping 4-0 win over Wolves with a really important goalless draw against Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Sean Dyche’s men seem to have turned a corner in recent weeks as they’ve picked up four points in the last two.
The Toffees have now kept back-to-back clean sheets, too, so there’s certainly plenty to build on heading into the busy festive period.
Ashley Young was produced another age-defying performance as he pocked one of the most dangerous wingers in the division, Gabriel Martinelli.
Jordan Pickford also earned plaudits from Arsenal fans after making a number of key saves to keep the score level.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz shared the one thing that really impressed him about Everton.
Arsenal's Norwegian midfielder #08 Martin Odegaard (R) shoots but has his shot saved by Everton's English goalkeeper #01 Jordan Pickford (L) during...
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Kai Havertz says Everton were really solid in the box
Speaking to Arsenal’s website, Kai Havertz was visibly frustrated at the result but praised Everton’s solidity in the box.
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“It’s very frustrating,” Havertz explained.
“I think we controlled the game very well and didn’t allow them any chances. We didn’t manage to score and of course that’s frustrating, because we wanted to win the game.
“They are a tough team to break down. They are very solid in the box. Just the little details in the box, we didn’t manage to do them.
“We didn’t find the final pass. Sometimes I think the positioning in the box wasn’t perfect so we have to look at that and make it better next game.”
Everton defensive stats vs Arsenal
Despite Arsenal’s dominance in possession, Everton still managed to reduce them to a 1.22 xG, as per Sofascore.
Further, The Gunners only created one big chance, so the 0-0 draw was probably a fair result by all accounts.
Everton now need to build on that superb defensive performance ahead of a home clash against Chelsea this weekend.