Mikel Arteta next to a circular inset of David Moyes
Credit: Imago
Alex Oakhill
Sun 21 December 2025 11:30, UK
Everton were beaten 1-0 by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
Viktor Gyokeres scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot after Jake O’Brien was penalised for inexplicably handling the ball from a corner.
Everton thought they should’ve had a spot-kick of their own when Thierno Barry was caught by William Saliba in the box, but VAR deemed that there somehow wasn’t sufficient contact to award a penalty.
Following the full-time whistle, Arteta, who spent six years at Goodison Park as a player, sent a message to Toffees fans.
Mikel Arteta makes ‘new ‘amazing’ Everton claim
Everton were without several first-team players for the visit of Arsenal, including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Idrissa Gueye, and Iliman Ndiaye.
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Dewsbury-Hall picked up an injury in the defeat to Chelsea, while Gueye and Ndiaye are away at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
In truth, the 1-0 scoreline flattered David Moyes’ side, who were dominated for the majority of the contest by the Premier League leaders, but they had chances.
Despite leaving the Hill Dickinson Stadium with all three points, Arteta still had time to praise the Everton faithful for the atmosphere they created, adding that he was still very much a fan of the Blues.
He said: “I just want to congratulate everyone at Everton Football Club for this amazing stadium.
“It’s got everything, the atmosphere they created. As an ex-player and someone who still supports the club, congratulations to all of them.”
Everton’s weaknesses clear in Arsenal defeat
With so many key players missing, Everton had real issues creating chances against Arsenal.
Moyes’ side managed just one shot on target across the whole 90 minutes, failing to break through a rock-solid Gunners defence.
Stats Everton Arsenal
Goals 0 1
Shots 5 13
Shots on target 1 2
Expected Goals 0.2 2.01
Corners 2 3
Everton were dominated by Arsenal
The likes of Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz struggled to fill the void left by Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye, with Grealish also not having an impact on proceedings.
With Everton set to be without both Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye over the next few weeks, Moyes needs to find a solution for their lack of attacking quality.
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