We went to the top of the tree at Christmas with a 1-0 win away to Everton in our first ever trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
A Viktor Gyokeres penalty was enough to separate the sides in the Premier League, and Adrian Clarke has watched the match back to highlight the keys to our success on Merseyside.
a defensive shut out
The cornerstone of this important victory was our solidity and control.
We prioritised both ingredients to limit Everton to just 0.2 expected goals, their lowest xG tally of the season far.
Keeping them at arm’s length with relative ease, David Moyes’ side managed just five shots (their second lowest figure this season) and a single effort on target (joint lowest).
That ‘shot’ was this harmless looping header from Charly Alcaraz that looped safely, and gently, into David Raya’s hands.
That hopeful ball was one of just two successful passes or crosses that found a blue shirt inside the danger zone at Hill Dickinson Stadium in the entire contest.
This successful pass and cross chalkboard for the Toffees shows how little impact they made in their attempts to penetrate the Gunners’ penalty area.
Everton – Successful Passes and Crosses
It was a team effort to restrict Everton to next-to-nothing in an attacking sense, but Piero Hincapie deserves credit for being such a dominant force inside our defensive third.
Exuding determination and resilience, our Ecuadorian made a team-high ten clearances.
Read more Highlights: Everton 0-1 Arsenal
rice led the way
This was another colossal display from talismanic midfielder Declan Rice.
In possession he was a little deeper than usual, often dropping between the centre backs to build up from inside his own half, drawing Everton onto him before playing a forward pass or driving with the ball.
During an improved second half team performance the England international was consistently at the forefront of our best work, picking up several important second balls, including ten ball recoveries.
Declan Rice
v Everton
AFC Rank
Possession won
10
1st
Duel success
77%
1st
Aerial success
100%
1st
Interceptions
3
1st
Passes
97
1st
Dominant in possession, having more touches than anyone else, but also very strong in terms of regaining the ball and protecting the box, Rice was in terrific form.
His defensive chalkboard below highlights how much security he provided down our left side.
Rice Defensive Chalkboard – Recoveries, Clearances, Tackles, Interceptions
Read more Watch a full match replay of our Everton win
rampant down the right
We were at our most fluid and menacing down the right wing on Merseyside, with Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka working extremely well in tandem.
The Dutchman’s overlaps down that flank were often beautifully timed, and those forays forward were regularly too hot to handle.
This clever run on the inside was picked out by Saka, and from a deflected cross we earned the corner which led to the match winning penalty.
After the break Timber continued to fly around the outside of our brilliant number seven, and he was picked out superbly from this burst.
From the right back’s intelligent cut back pass, seeing his partner in space, Saka was very unlucky to see his shot cleared off the line by James Tarkowski.
This key pass and open play cross map indicates how penetrative we were down that wing, with fewer dangerous moments occurring on the left.
With Jack Grealish not always willing to track Timber or Odegaard’s runs, Everton left back Vitaliy Mykolenko found himself overwhelmed.
Arsenal Key Passes and Open Play Crosses
the margin should have been wider
The tension we all felt during the final ten minutes - because one small error may have led to costly dropped points - should not disguise the fact Arsenal deserved to win this match by a distance.
During this encounter, from back to front and side to side, we produced some slick passing moves that ripped Everton apart.
Two such moves saw us strike the woodwork.
The first would have been one of the best team goals you will see all season, when a gorgeous 14-pass move ended with Leandro Trossard hitting the post.
Playing through Everton’s press with calm assurance we moved the ball down the right, where we found some fabulous angles and interplay to tie the hosts in knots…
Odegaard then moved the ball left to Rice, who timed his final pass perfectly to release Trossard, who will be frustrated he did not get more curl on the ball to find the corner.
Then, in a move that initially involved David Raya, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard (whose pass opened up space for Riccardo Calafiori to stride forward on the inside) the Italian switched the ball beautifully to Bukayo Saka for a 2v1.
Odegaard’s forward run was smart, as was his cutback for Martin Zubimendi, who struck the post.
The match stats may state that our xG was 2, and that we had just two shots on target from 13 attempts, but the quality of our smooth pass and move football should not be dismissed.
With better finishing we would have won by a comfortable distance.
Read more Gallery: 42 photos of Merseyside delight
big call pays off
In league matches since the start of 2023/24 Viktor Gykoeres has now converted 17 successful penalties in a row, and his winner on Merseyside was emphatically struck.
With Odegaard and Saka both terrific options themselves, it was interesting to see the leadership group opt to hand the ball to our Swedish striker.
And it turned out to be a call which helped both the team and Gyokeres himself, who had not scored in his previous five outings.
Putting his laces through the ball, Gyokeres confidentally despatched a strike that took us back to the top of the table.
Read more Gyokeres reflects on 'tough win' on Merseyside
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