Last season, as we all know, Arsenal were football’s set piece kings. Last season, Mikel Arteta’s men set the record for most set piece goals in a Premier League season and most corner kick goals in a Premier League season as they became champions of the English top flight. Up against suffocating low blocks, these goals from dead balls typically served to break matches open against opponents that simply were not interested in actually trying to match up football-wise with the Gunners.
This season, however, the set piece scores have seemingly dried up. Until Saturday, Arsenal had scored only one goal from dead ball situations in all competitions. And that was a penalty that served as a dagger to make it 2-0 to the good at Sunderland.
Recently, there have been signs that a breakthrough was close. At Bayern Munich during the week, the Gunners produced multiple uncomfortable moments for the German side from set pieces. At Nottingham Forest last week, Arsenal were rather unfortunate not to convert one of their set pieces into a goal on a few occasions.
But at the Emirates Stadium against Everton on Saturday, the champions’ set piece prowess reared its beautiful head once more. Just under seven minutes into proceedings, a Martin Ødegaard corner ultimately produced Ezri Konsa’s first goal for the club. In the 68th minute, the second phase of play from a free kick saw Gabriel nod home to give his side a two-goal cushion and all three points.
Heading into this match, Arsenal had scored 24 goals in all competitions. 23 of those had come from open play. Indeed, Arteta’s men have at times harkened back to the days of Arsène Wenger, with well-orchestrated attacking moves and skillful linkup in the half-spaces that are rather easy on the eye.
But of course, Arsenal finally scoring two set piece goals seems to have let to a rebooting of that same old tired narrative about them being boring. And obviously, they’re wrong about that. As Robbie Mustoe of NBC Sports stated curtly when asked by Rebecca Lowe about it during the weekend’s slate, Arsenal play expansive enough. Additionally, can winning matches and silverware ever really be boring if it’s your team that’s victorious?
Perhaps that’s the crux of it, I suppose. Manchester United are yet again in crisis, this time far ahead of schedule — players have downed tools and publicly questioned the club hierarchy, and Michael Carrick is almost certainly unemployed as you read this. Chelsea have once more started morphing into a pumpkin after emptily threatening to be a team of consequence in the title race. Spurs, who beat them on Saturday, have been a catastrophe for much of this young season. Liverpool continue to be something of a glass cannon, conceding frequently and now clicking in the final third. Even Manchester City are getting in on the act, having been found guilty of football’s biggest cheating scandal.
Elsewhere in the “Big Six”, there is plenty of entertainment value to be found for the dreaded neutral. Comedy and drama simultaneously beckon. Premier League watchers don’t need to drive anywhere to witness a car crash. It’s good fun for almost everyone.
But then there’s Arsenal. Arsenal, who hold opponents at arms’ length and don’t concede goals. Arsenal, who typically find a way to score no matter how aesthetically unpleasing it is. Arsenal, who are more than willing to play conservatively and rely on physicality to have their way. Arsenal, who just keep winning with minimal fuss. Honestly, I do kind of get why people might find that tedious.
Here’s the thing, however: I like my team being boring. I like knowing that the chances are minimal that the Gunners won’t be competitive in any game they play. I like the comfort that comes with one’s manager having established principles and standards and players putting their bodies on the line to adhere to them. I like watching Arsenal go about their business competently and professionally, with few palpitation-inducing moments if they can help it.
So when I was told by an Aston Villa fan recently that Unai Emery’s charges play “incredible” football while Arsenal’s style is “woeful”, I couldn’t help but laugh. In the Premier League, the Gunners have currently scored about three times as many goals from open play as the Villans have. Arteta has led the Gunners to a Premier League title in the most attritional league in Europe, and they’re favorites to do it again. With City losing at Villa, Arsenal are now level on points at the top of the table. They’re also one of the teams viewed as most likely to win the Champions League. The football they play surely can’t be that woeful!
So let Arsenal keep being “boring”. Let them keep being whatever a match requires. Let them score set pieces, or rely on their bench to win games, or giving opponents no hope of scoring. Because people who understand how amazing that is will doubtlessly treat it as the pleasure that it is. Those that don’t will keep being bitter that the champions haven’t prioritized their dopamine receptors. Which is fine by me.
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Ballers
Gabriel
This may have genuinely been a 10/10 performance from the Brazilian. Gabriel absolutely dominated in his defensive duties against Everton. He thoroughly nullified Thierno Barry, who has been one of the more in-form forwards in the Premier League so far this season. Each time the Everton striker found himself on the ball, Gabriel was there in a flash to get it off him without fuss.
Ultimately, the 28-year-old finished with three tackles (including two last-man tackles), one blocked shot, eight clearances, two interceptions, and three ball recoveries. He was not dribbled past. And it was thanks to him that the visitors didn’t score from one of their three corners; the Brazilian cleared a ball that both David Raya and Mikel Merino last track of just before it rolled over Arsenal’s goal line in the first half, sparing his teammates’ blushes.
Additionally, it was Gabriel’s flick on from Ødegaard’s corner in the seventh minute that led to the champions’ first goal. After some clever movement in the box, the center back reached the skipper’s cross first and headed dangerously across the face of Everton’s goal. The resulting scrum saw Konsa smack the ball home at the back post.
This masterful defensive showing in his 200th Premier League was an unneeded reminder of just how important Gabriel is to Arsenal’s silverware prospects. Which is why my and so many other hearts sank when he went down clutching his leg in noticeable pain in the second period. Fortunately he had only jammed his knee into the ground when sliding in to make a clearance.
After returning to the pitch, Gabriel capped off a great showing by contributing more emphatically at the other end of the pitch. In the 68th minute, the Brazilian stayed up in Everton’s penalty area following a set piece and found himself unmarked as the ball came to Ben White on the right flank. Gabriel called for it and White clipped a perfect cross for the center back to head into the back post of Jordan Pickford’s goal, giving the Gunners a 2-0 lead and sealing the win. It is his first goal of the season, and something tells me there will be more. Please Arsenal, give him the day off on Tuesday.
Martin Ødegaard
The captain maintained a rather underrated run of form against Everton on Sunday. Ødegaard ran the show for Arsenal once more, accumulating a whopping 116 touches of the ball — the most of any player to feature in the match. The Norwegian completed 88 of 99 passes, with 15 of those passes entering the final third and 26 breaking lines. He also created two chances worth 0.42 expected assists. As Gradient Sports indicates below, the Gunners’ skipper continues to be one of the best and most dangerous passers in the Premier League.
[X avatar for @Gradient_Sports
Gradient Sports@Gradient_SportsMartin Ødegaard leads the Premier League so far with 38 Passes into a Dangerous Position 🎯 Among attacking midfielders he ranks 2nd in Pressured (85.5), Through Ball (77.2) and One Touch Passing (79.2) Grades, while ranking 1st in Tackle Resistance Grade (79.1) 👏 #AFC 3:09 PM · Oct 23, 2026 · 15.1K Views5 Replies · 87 Reposts · 442 Likes](https://x.com/Gradient_Sports/status/2113649107814195433?s=20)
He just seems to be really enjoying his football right now. Ødegaard pulled the strings for Arsenal’s attack while also dropping deep to orchestrate buildup as well. He attempted flicks, played some one-twos, and tried some very ambitious passes that would have been spectacular if Everton had not intervened. He took five shots — joint-most of the match — including one that came close to producing one of the goals of the season. Viktor Gyökeres linked up well with him on the counter in the 40th minute before Ødegaard dribbled through six Toffees and made an attempt at goal that was ultimately blocked.
I also want to note just how excellent the Norwegian’s understanding with Declan Rice is. The Englishman forms the other half of Arsenal’s control center in midfield these days, moving up and down the pitch in sequence with Ødegaard and operating in tandem regarding buildup and chance to creation. It’s a joy to watch, and I can’t wait to see it continue on this season.
Mikel Merino
Merino got his first Premier League start of the season against Everton, operating as a hybrid of a ten and second striker. With Ødegaard and Rice handing most of the touches for Arsenal, the Spaniard spent most of his time in and around the final third. Which is always a good thing — Merino tends to do his best work in that part of the pitch.
He took the joint-most shots in the game along with Ødegaard, and was perhaps unlucky not to leave the match without a score. His five shots produced 0.52 xG, although four of them were blocked and he saw a header in the box glance over the crossbar just before halftime. But the frequency with which the Spaniard found himself in good scoring positions is highly encouraging. Not every team is as organized defensively as Everton are; next time, those shots might not be blocked or off target next time.
Merino didn’t technically create any chances according to FotMob, but he nevertheless displayed some smart passing in and around the area. Arsenal’s no. 23 combined well to help set up attacking moves, and early he played a terrific lofted ball to put Eberechi Eze in behind Merlin Röhl. There were a few moments when he ignored a quick pass or a first-time option and instead dallied on the ball, but all in all it was a very impressive performance from the Spaniard.
Eberechi Eze
After a great showing at Bayern Munich, Eze started at left wing once more against Everton. While it wasn’t the season-best performance he produced in Germany, the Englishman continued playing with a level of enthusiasm that wasn’t quite there to start the season. I for one quite enjoyed it.
Early on, Eze stole a march on Röhl and was found by Merino. His ball to the near post came close to reaching an onrushing Gyökeres for what would have been a fairly big chance. In the 24th minute he tried a shot that initially looked like a ball across the face of goal for Gyökeres, but skidded just beyond Pickford’s far post. He also played another ball across the top of the penalty area that Merino perhaps could have shot first-time.
The Gunners’ no. 10 was simply more involved than he has been in past league games to start the 2026/27 season. Eze finished with ten touches in the opposition penalty area, the most of the game. And he brought a technical security to the left flank that helped Arsenal maintain territory in Everton’s final third throughout the match.
Viktor Gyökeres
It was another match in which the Swede failed to register a shot on target. Normally, that has meant a game in which Gyökeres has ended up being a non-factor. However, the striker still found a way to be highly effective for his side on Saturday.
Just six minutes into the clash with Everton, Gyökeres managed to get to the ball within a throng at Everton’s back post. He tapped it towards Konsa for the center back to fire home. It marks his second assist of the season.
Aside from that, the Swede’s holdup and linkup play continues to improve. Gyökeres successfully backed into the likes of James Tarkowski in order to receive the ball and help facilitate attacking moves, something he was rather inept at doing last season. It’s not pretty, it’s not slick, but it is another shred of evidence that no. 14 can indeed still be a functional piece in the champions’ attack even when he’s not getting on the end of chances.
Fallers
The referee
I don’t know the name of the official who oversaw Saturday’s match, and frankly I don’t really care to know. Part of me thinks referees like him do what they do so that we learn their names, and I refuse to indulge that. Because the way he handled the game was honestly a disgrace.
First there was the insistence on preventing Arsenal from taking free kicks and throw-ins quickly because they weren’t on the exact spot he wanted them taken from. This could have been a much more comfortable game as there were instances in which the Gunners genuinely could have caught out their visitors if allowed to just put the ball down and play, but this unnecessary stickler for the rules got in the way of that. The referee also gave the Toffees a corner because David Raya held onto the ball for more than eight seconds — marking maybe the second time I saw that rule applied in the Premier League so far this season — and did that incredibly obnoxious thing where he started holding up his fingers to simulate a countdown whenever an Arsenal player lined up a throw-in on the touchline.
But of course, his application of the rules was selective. Gyökeres couldn’t buy a foul but was called for slightly overpowering a defender. Max Dowman had his shirt pulled initially by an Everton player late in the match but was penalized for grappling with the man trying to bring him down. Martín Zubimendi had his nose surely broken when he took an arm to the face but the referee saw fit to call him for a foul as he was lying on the ground bleeding.
And then we come to the cards. Both Arteta and David Moyes were carded by the official, the former seeing yellow because he stepped out of his technical area. It was an enforcement action brought by a common rube, someone with the laughable lack of critical thinking skills necessary to be influenced by nonsense spewed by football media and bring it into a job that requires impartial judgment. I’m so tired of the supposed best league in football being subjected to the whims of common marks.
Because these things have serious consequences. Arteta now has two yellow cards. One more will see him suspended for a match. That’s a huge deal — not having a manager on the touchline has a significant impact for any team, especially in a big game. Pardon my French, but it pisses me off that Arsenal could end up dropping points because of such smooth-brained bullshit. It needs to change. Just focus on protecting player safety and the integrity of the game.
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