Liverpool need no favours to win the Premier League but the neighbours did them one anyway. Everton denied Arsenal victory courtesy of a controversial penalty, effectively ending their forlorn pursuit of the leaders in the process, but Mikel Arteta did not rage against the dying of the light on his return to Goodison Park. The game is up, and he knows it.
Arsenal took the lead through Leandro Trossard’s fine first-half finish, dominated possession and edged the chances but never performed with the conviction or quality of serious title contenders. They paid the price when Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have fouled Jack Harrison inside the area, presenting Iliman Ndiaye with the penalty that earned Everton a fifth draw in six games.
The upshot is that Arne Slot’s side need only 11 points from eight games to seal Liverpool’s 20th league title and Arsenal may have to form a guard of honour at Anfield when they return to Merseyside on 11 May. Arteta understandably complained about the penalty decision but cannot legitimately take issue with the destiny of the championship.
“I think we deserved more,” said the Arsenal manager. “The referee decides to give a penalty and that changes the course of the game. I’ve seen it 15 times. There’s no way, in my opinion, that’s a penalty. Because if there is, then [Jake] O’Brien has to be out and Everton has to play with 10 men. After that we dominated the game.”
David Moyes chose the diplomatic option over the penalty that edged Everton closer to guaranteed safety. “I’ve watched it zero times so couldn’t tell you,” he said. “But I’m really satisfied. It’s been a difficult week against the teams first and second in the league and we’ve given both of them decent games.”
Arteta attributed a changed team selection to fitness problems following the win over Fulham on Tuesday. There was no doubt, however, that this Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid was on his mind and his priority with Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey all on the bench.
The finest moment of a scrappy opening was the tribute to former Arsenal and Everton forward Kevin Campbell. The entire stadium stood to applaud when the late striker’s face appeared on the giant screens in the ninth minute. Members of Campbell’s family were in attendance to witness the affection that both sets of supporters have for a much-missed character, who died last year aged 54.
Trossard decided this fixture in Arsenal’s favour last season and carried their main threat again in a central role. The Belgium international was denied by a superb Jarrad Branthwaite challenge when breaking into the box following a James Tarkowski mistake. Ten minutes later he profited from a mix-up between Branthwaite and Idrissa Gueye to drive the visitors into the lead.
Everton were on the attack when Gueye, under pressure from Declan Rice, miscued a header straight to Raheem Sterling, who had been left by Branthwaite. Sterling sprinted through the Everton half unchallenged before finding Trossard, who swept a low shot between the legs of Jake O’Brien and inside the unsighted Jordan Pickford’s far corner.
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Trossard had another chance to double Arsenal’s advantage when released clear behind the home defence by Jakub Kiwior’s long ball in first half stoppage time. The striker just evaded Tarkowski’s risky challenge from behind before poking a shot against Pickford at point-blank range.
Saka and Martinelli were introduced for Ethan Nwaneri and Sterling respectively at the start of the second half but Arsenal’s lead vanished before they worked up a sweat. Everton were gifted an equaliser when Lewis-Skelly tumbled into Harrison as they contested a Pickford clearance. The offence, if it could be called that, commenced outside the area with the full-back leaning into Harrison and briefly grabbing his shirt. The pair went down inside the box and the referee, Darren England, after a brief pause, pointed to the spot. England’s decision was backed up by the video assistant referee to allow Ndiaye, Everton’s brightest outlet on his first start in over seven weeks, to send David Raya the wrong way with a cool, confident penalty.
Raya saved at his near post from Abdoulaye Doucouré as Everton pressed for a swift second but it was Arsenal who created the better openings. Pickford pushed away a powerful free-kick from Rice, tipped over brilliantly from Trossard, who was then penalised for a push on Branthwaite, and made another fine save when Martinelli skipped inside O’Brien and aimed for the top corner. Ødegaard and Mikel Merino also missed decent chances as Arsenal faltered, uniting both sides of the Mersey in relief.
Source: theguardian.com
