September 17, (THEWILL) – Arsenal won a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Everton on Sunday, with Leandro Trossard’s second-half strike proving the difference between the two sides.
It was a tightly contested match at Goodison Park, with Everton defending valiantly, but Arsenal’s quality eventually told. The Gunners dominated the early proceedings and thought they had taken a deserved lead through Gabriel Martinelli, only for it to be ruled out by VAR for a marginal offside. Martinelli later hobbled off injured in a blow for Arsenal. They continued to control possession but struggled to break down Everton’s deep defensive line in a goalless first half.
Arsenal upped the intensity after the break and finally made the breakthrough just after the hour mark courtesy of a superbly worked goal. An intricate passing move that began with captain Martin Odegaard saw Bukayo Saka tee up Trossard in the box, and the Belgian kept his composure to stroke the ball into the far corner.
The Gunners pushed for a second to kill off the game, with Odegaard forcing a fine stop from Jordan Pickford. However, Trossard’s strike would prove enough to take all three points on a day when Arsenal’s attacking flair overcame Everton’s stubborn resistance to give the visitors a first win at Goodison Park for the first time in four attempts.
The win sees Arsenal move level on points with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool behind leaders Man City. Everton sank into the relegation zone after picking up just one point from their first five games. Arsenal now turn focus to their UEFA Champions League return with an opener against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, at home, while Everton face a crucial clash away at Brentford next Saturday.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
