Everton v Arsenal (2020-21)

General

Image gallery

Everton v Arsenal (2020-21)

Everton Arsenal 2 1
HT:2–1 Report
Event	Premier League 2020-21
Date	Saturday 19 December 2020
Venue	Goodison Park, Liverpool
Player of the Match	Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Referee	Andre Marriner
Attendance	0
Weather	8 °C (46 °F)
← Everton - Leicester City Arsenal - S'hampton Everton - Man Utd Arsenal - Man City →

Everton v Arsenal was a match which took place at the Goodison Park on Saturday 19 December 2020.

Everton ensured manager Carlo Ancelotti celebrated the first anniversary of his appointment with victory over Arsenal that moved them into second place in the Premier League to increase counterpart Mikel Arteta's woes.

Ancelotti's side have now beaten Chelsea, Leicester City and Arsenal in the space of seven days and while there were some anxious moments in the second half, this was a deserved win.

Everton took the lead after 22 minutes when Rob Holding deflected Dominic Calvert-Lewin's flick past Bernd Leno, but Arsenal were level 10 minutes before the break when Nicolas Pepe scored from the spot after Tom Davies fouled Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The Gunners barely deserved to be level and Everton were ahead again on the stroke of half-time when Yerry Mina headed in at the near post from a corner.

Arsenal improved after the break, David Luiz seeing a shot deflected on to the post, but Everton also had opportunities and this loss leaves Arteta's struggling side 15th as he has no cause to celebrate his own first anniversary in a few days' time.

It was almost a year ago to the day since Ancelotti few into Merseyside from Italy to confirm his appointment at Everton before sitting and watching a thoroughly shocking goalless draw with Arsenal at Goodison Park.

Arteta, the newly appointed manager of Arsenal, sat a few seats away to watch his own new team and supposedly usher in a new era of optimism.

Ancelotti can survey the Premier League table with greater satisfaction than Arteta after a superb week in what was earmarked as a crucial month and Everton's manager took huge acclaim from supporters gathered in the Gwladys Street after the final whistle.

Everton had to dig deep here but they did and merited their win despite surviving some close shaves near the end.

Calvert-Lewin delivered another magnificent display but it was two of Ancelotti's signings that really caught the eye, namely Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ben Godfrey.

Doucoure was outstanding but it was 22-year-old Godfrey, the England under-21 defender signed for £25m from Norwich City, who was arguably the game's outstanding player.

Godfrey is playing in an unfamiliar left-back role but gave a superb performance, thunderous in the tackle and showing an astonishing turn of speed to lead a second half counter-attack.

Everton have now had an outstanding week with three wins after a sticky spell following their bright start.

Arsenal looked exactly what they are for most of this match - a team struggling desperately near the bottom of the Premier League table.

The Gunners, admittedly without main striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, should have been beaten by half-time as Everton dominated and Arteta's side showed an alarming lack of urgency, exemplified by another poor display from Willian.

There was also the lack of discipline that has been a problem this season with Dani Ceballos fortunate to escape a red card for raking his studs down Mina's leg in the opening period.

Arsenal picked up after the break but they could hardly get any worse and their tally of 14 points represents their worst start to the season since 1974/75, when they won just three of their first 14 games.

There is no threat to Arteta's position, - he won the FA Cup last season after all - but there is a sense of dangerous drift about Arsenal, who have now gone seven league games without a win.

Arsenal's tepid, negative first half handed the initiative to Everton and while it is a stretch to imagine the Gunners in a relegation fight, there must be serious concerns about the lack of results and that poor league position.

Match

Details

19 December 2020 17:30 GMT	Everton	2–1	Arsenal	Goodison Park, Liverpool Attendance: 0 Referee: Andre Marriner
	Holding  22' (og) Mina  45'	HT:2–1 Report	Pépé  35' (Pen)

Everton

Arsenal

01 Jordan Pickford 04 Mason Holgate 13 Yerry Mina 05 Michael Keane 22 Ben Godfrey 16 Abdoulaye Doucouré 26 Tom Davies 17 Alex Iwobi 83' 10 Gylfi Sigurðsson 07 Richarlison 90+2' 09 Dominic Calvert-Lewin 90+3' Substitutes: 02 Jonjoe Kenny 90+2' 14 Cenk Tosun 90+3' 18 Niels Nkounkou 20 Bernard 23 Séamus Coleman 83' 24 Anthony Gordon 32 Jarrad Branthwaite 33 Robin Olsen 49 Jonas Lössl Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

01 Bernd Leno 16 Rob Holding 23 David Luiz 03 Kieran Tierney 15 Ainsley Maitland-Niles 08 Dani Ceballos 25 Mohamed Elneny 64' 07 Bukayo Saka 19 Nicolas Pépé 71' 30 Eddie Nketiah 76' 12 Willian Substitutes: 02 Héctor Bellerín 09 Alexandre Lacazette 76' 13 Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson 17 Cédric Soares 20 Shkodran Mustafi 28 Joe Willock 64' 31 Sead Kolašinac 32 Emile Smith Rowe 35 Gabriel Martinelli 71' Manager: Mikel Arteta

Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin Assistant referees: Scott Ledger Simon Long Fourth official: Paul Tierney

Match rules 90 minutes, no extra time or penalties. Three points awarded to winner, none to loser. One point awarded to each in the event of a draw. Nine named substitutes Maximum of three substitutions

Match Stats

• Match Stats

Overall	Everton	Arsenal
Goals scored	2	1
Total shots	9	13
Shots on target	2	2
Ball possession	42%	58%
Corner kicks	4	3
Fouls committed	9	9

See also

• 2020-21 Premier League: Match day 14

External links

• Match report at BBC.co.uk
• Match report at Premier League.com

v