ARSENAL’S two centre-backs proved to be the difference in front of goal against Everton after Ezri Konsa and Gabriel secured all three points on a rainy Saturday in north London.
It was a good week all round for Konsa, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday, after the Gunners’ summer arrival from Aston Villa opened the scoring in the seventh minute. That was before Brazil defender Gabriel headed home in the 68th minute to claim victory on a wet and windy afternoon in Islington.
Arteta made five changes to the team that drew with Bayern Munich in midweek, with Ben White making his 200th Gunners appearance, while Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres all drafted into the starting line-up.
On winning despite making five changes, Mikel Arteta said after the match: “That’s great for us, and will for sure make me do it again.
“We have no reason not to do it, because we have an unbelievable group of players with the right mentality who are all ready to play their part when they’re ready. They did that today.”
After the late Ken Friar was honoured before kick-off with a hearty round of applause for his eight decades of service for the club, Konsa put the Gunners ahead in the seventh minute. The Hackney-born defender’s effort coming after Jordan Pickford could only push an in-swinging corner onto Vitali Mykolenko at the back post. The ball dropped for Konsa who bundled it into the net for his first goal in red and white.
Tyrique George went close with a shot that fizzed past David Raya’s far-post 10 minutes later, before Merino had a shot blocked as the rain fell incessantly. As we edged towards the half-hour mark, Noni Madueke drilled a low effort narrowly wide of Pickford’s post, after showing excellent technique with a quick turn on the edge of the area.
Six minutes prior to the interval, Gunners captain Martin Odegaard attempted to dance around hordes of Everton defenders after a bustling drive forward from the yeoman Gyokeres, but his shot was blocked with six Toffees in the box, to deny hopes of a startling virtuoso goal.
As the clock ticked towards the break, White nodded the ball back to Raya, with Thierno Barry lurking, even if the attacker failed to make effective contact with the slovenly back pass. The half-time whistle blew shortly afterwards, with Everton boss David Moyes seen to remonstrate with the officials, even if he really should have had a word with his misfiring No 11 first.
As the rain continued to lash down after the restart, the home side doubled their lead on 68 minutes, when Gabriel nodded home to seal the three points on a wretched day of weather in N5.
There was still time for Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to head the ball at Raya’s goal in a crowded box, but the Toffees No 8 steered his header past the far post to underline a miserable afternoon for the Merseysiders.