Arsenal’s Title Hopes Dented Again by Stalemate
Inevitability in football is a tricky beast. No matter how dominant a team seems, you still need to actually score. Arsenal had all the possession, plenty of chances, and yet, against a stubborn Everton defense, the breakthrough never came. With Liverpool dropping points, this was a golden chance to close the gap. But, instead, it slipped through Arsenal’s fingers.
“When you do what we did today, you’ve got to win,” Mikel Arteta said. He was clearly frustrated. “We gave nothing away. If there was one team that deserved to win, it was Arsenal. But you need a spark and precision.”
That spark? Nowhere to be found. Precision? Just as scarce. For the second week in a row, Arsenal struggled to crack a team defending deep. It’s been three and a half league games since their last open-play goal. Set pieces are great, but relying on them too much paints a worrying picture.
Early Chances, No Payoff
Martin Ødegaard had some good looks early on but couldn’t hit the target. One shot was deflected by James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford. Gabriel Martinelli’s effort just before halftime? Kicked away by Pickford again. Even Bukayo Saka’s sharp volley in the second half was saved with ease.
Had just one of these gone in, Arsenal would’ve likely cruised to victory. But, as the game wore on, frustration grew. The creativity dried up. It was all crosses into the box, most of them wasteful.
Ødegaard, a key figure in Arsenal’s recent resurgence, was subbed off after an hour. Despite a few bright moments early on, he never reached his usual heights.
Everton’s Defensive Masterclass
Everton didn’t offer much going forward, but they didn’t have to. Abdoulaye Doucouré had their only real chance, but Gabriel’s block snuffed out the danger. Sean Dyche’s plan was clear: frustrate Arsenal, defend in numbers, and waste time when needed.
“Our focus and attention to detail were excellent,” Dyche said. And he wasn’t wrong. Everton’s backline, led by Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite, soaked up everything Arsenal threw at them.
Pickford had another standout game, tipping away Arsenal’s better set-piece attempts. Time-wasting earned Everton two yellow cards, but it also bought them breathing room.
Set-Piece Showdown
For Arsenal, the corners were supposed to be the ace up their sleeve. They’ve turned dead-ball situations into an art form under specialist Nicolas Jover. But against a Dyche team? Good luck with that.
Tarkowski and Branthwaite were like brick walls. Arsenal’s five first-half corners produced little more than a scramble that Pickford handled easily. Their best second-half attempt was a Mikel Merino header straight at Pickford.
Dyche teams live for moments like these. Outsmarting Jover’s set-piece strategies seemed to be a point of pride for Everton.
Missed Opportunity
This draw leaves Arsenal wondering what might’ve been. The title race is still wide open, but with every missed opportunity, their margin for error shrinks. Everton’s grit, Pickford’s brilliance, and Arsenal’s lack of inspiration made for a frustrating afternoon at the Emirates.
