Everton vs Arsenal Highlight : The guners had a bad day

Everton relied heavily on their Burnley connection for a first win since October, when Sean Dyche’s tenure as manager got off to a perfect start with a 1-0 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The former Clarets boss insisted he had no ‘magic dust’ to scatter over a struggling side – the only one not to be bolstered by a signing in January – but the impact that it was immediate as another former Turf Moor resident, James Tarkowski, ushered in the winner. time.

It was the centre-back’s first goal since joining from Burnley in the summer – and his first since opening day last season – and ended a 10-game winless streak in all competitions.

The big break is definitely on the cards for Everton, who slipped out of the relegation zone briefly after their lunchtime kick-off and offer eternal hope to Goodison after a miserable 12 months under former manager Frank Lampard .

The loss was Arsenal’s first since September and only their second in the league and opened the door for Manchester City to close the five-point gap at Tottenham on Sunday. The combination of Dyche – who have won two and drawn in their last six meetings with the Gunners – and Goodison Park – where they have won twice in their last 11 visits – proved the nemesis once again of Arsenal as Everton won three home games in the won episode. against the Londoners for the first time in over 45 years.

There was a street protest march before kick-off – with the board absent for game two for security reasons – and a small sit-in after the final whistle on an airplane piloting one of the most mismanaged clubs in the league #timetogobill’ (a nod to longtime chairman Bill Kenwright) at the start of the game.

But between the two, the optimism was far greater as Dyche made an immediate impression despite only having five days to work with his new team.

Abdoulaye Doucoure – who had trained on his own after a row with Lampard – made his first Premier League start since mid-August to inject energy into a five-man midfield in what was a start from 4- Usual 4-2 from the manager.

But what was evident on the pitch was a reassuring familiarity with Dyche, who insisted his side be more direct, putting the ball past Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who looked fresh after struggling to stay fit all day. season had struggled and he almost held on to a pass from Dwight McNeil but was taken down by goaltender Aaron Ramsdale. Had Calvert-Lewis got close to Amadou Onana’s low cross from a volley down the left, Everton would have been ahead, with the England international also firing a weak shot from an Alex Iwobi knockdown and a header wide of Iwobi and Seamus Coleman had combined on the opposite flank.

Doucoure also made his presence felt and he too squandered a header from McNeil’s cross as much-needed confidence returned wide, boosted by an emboldened and committed Goodison Park.

Arsenal dominated possession, but found it difficult to work their way through a more compact and committed opponent, quickly regaining form when they lost possession, with Conor Coady taking the visitors’ best chance at mid-line being cleared by the volley by Bukayo Saka.

And as Everton won four corners in two minutes, Goodison roared his approval and for a short time the Gunners were under pressure with the sight of Granit Xhaka kicking a ball to nobody on the halfway line in one of the moments most opposed to Arsenal.

It was a new experience for the players who were booed at half-time during their previous two home games. Martin Odegaard bulged early in the second half from Eddie Nketiah’s cross, while Arsenal redoubled their efforts with new signings Leandro Trossard and Jorginho soon brought in.

But they hadn’t had a touch before Tarkowski surged over a packed six-yard box to bring home a corner kick and shake up the old stadium.

Neal Maupay replaced Calvert-Lewin when the Everton defender came on and his first intervention was to bring Gabriel down in the penalty area, resulting in a VAR check for a penalty which went empty.

It was the only negative reaction of the whole afternoon for the hosts, who were cheered from start to finish by fans desperate for relief after a second successive relegation battle.

Everton’s newfound resilience was highlighted by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford who only made his first proper save in the 78th minute when he chipped in a Trossard strike to keep his first clean sheet in three months.