Scrappy Arsenal Beat Everton 2-0

By Joshua Walters  

Unai Emery’s Arsenal scored two goals in quick succession to beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The win was Arsenal’s fourth on a run, and the feat which is better than they managed in the entirety of last season, has taken them to the sixth position on the Premier League table and equal on points with Tottenham Hotspurs.

Arsenal looked a pale shadow of themselves and were kept at bay as they fell short of chances throughout the first half.

Things improved quite a bit for them in the second half and Alexandre Lacazette scored a brilliant individual goal to break the deadlock ten minutes after the restart.

Lacazette received a pass from Aaron Ramsey in an inside-left position, and the French striker took a touch, opened up his body and thumped the ball inside the far post.

Jonathan Moss awarded a free kick to Everton for Lacazette’s bad tackle on Theo Walcott in the 58th minute, but that was the only taste of the action that the visitors had before they conceded again two minutes later with a goal that appeared like an offside.

Arsenal broke down the right channel and found Mesut Ozil, Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang running through against just one Everton defender, Jonjoe Kenny. Ozil dribbled toward goal and squared with typical selflessness to Ramsey, who stumbled, but managed to flick the ball onto Aubameyang, who smashed home from an offside position.

The Gunners looked out of salt before and after the goals and the closest they came to scoring was when Aubameyang's hit a left-footed effort into the crossbar.

Emery’s men had defensive problems, with Granit Xhaka giving away the ball too cheaply in a dangerous position in the early stages, and losing the ball three times in quick succession when attempting to pass forward at the start of the second half.