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Everton let one slip once again. After some scintillating football in the first half they ultimately let Arsenal, and in particular, Olivier Giroud back into the game.
For the second week in a row Arsenal steal points but they were subpar throughout the majority of the game. Arsene Wenger will have mixed emotions following the draw as on one hand his team performed below expectations but stealing points when you should lose is an important factor in any title/4th place run, and it could prove to be a difference in the business end of the season.
The result does not reflect the nature of the game as Arsenal were outplayed throughout the majority of the game but some lapses in concentration from Everton allowed Arsenal to steal points. Olivier Giroud was called upon and rose to the occasion.
From the moment he came on he looked dangerous and Arsenal looked better for it. The inclusion of the Frenchman after halftime changed the way Arsenal attacked and they were able to control possession more as a result of his presence.
With Giroud on the field Distin and Jagielka were not given the same freedom to roam as they had to be aware of Giroud’s aerial abilities and thus stuck close to the Frenchman at all times.
This allowed Arsenal’s midfield players with greater time and space and they were able to create more chances as a result. Arsenal were still poor today as they gave the ball Away cheaply many times and Wenger will have to address several issues before their next game with Besiktas, but they have stolen one here and will take some confidence away from that.
Everton once again were great for 80 minutes but fell apart in the final ten. Whether it’s fatigue or content to hold onto a lead is undetermined but either way they crumbled once again when it mattered most.
Just like last season they played some very attractive football and have the ability to match it with the best of them, but if they wish to push for Champions League football next season they are going to have to find a way to finish off games they deserve to win.
Both sides will have a lot to work on heading into next weekend and Arsenal will have several issues to address in almost every position across the park.
Arsenal have stolen one here; if they are seriously considering themselves as title contenders, they have fair bit of work to do.
FINAL SCORE:
Everton 2
Arsenal 2
Arsenal head to Goodison Park to take on an Everton side who will be looking for their first win of the season after slipping up late against newly promoted Leicester City last weekend. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 2:30am (AEST).
An early season blockbuster lined up on Saturday afternoon (Sunday morning AEST) as Arsenal take on Everton in what should be the first real test for both sides.
Arsenal will be looking to build on last week’s efforts where they managed to pick up a late win against a valiant Crystal Palace side, while Everton will be looking to redeem themselves after three points were snatched late from them against Leicester City in what is their first home game of the season.
There is nothing between these two with both sides and both are expected to have strong seasons, as Everton will their eye on Europe, while Arsenal will be gunning for the title.
Arsenal will be looking for a better performance after they narrowly escaped with victory after a late Aaron Ramsey winner at the death against Palace. The Gunners were in fine form through the pre-season and decimated Manchester City in the community shield but we’re quite stagnant by there own high standards last week.
They were slow and ineffective for the majority of the game failing to breakdown a sturdy Palace defence, scoring goals from a set piece and a late Ramsey rebound goal.
When Arsenal are in form they are as good as any team in the Premier League and they have all the weapons needed to contend for the title, with the exception of a tested marksman up front.
Yaya Sanogo is young and inexperienced but will want to prove that he is capable of leading the Gunners attack as if he doesn’t perform they may look to bring a more tried and proven talisman before the transfer window closes.
Luckily for Sanogo he has enough talent around him that they should be able to create plenty of chances for him to show what he’s capable of.
They have a strong midfield but will be looking for their record signing and star midfielder Mesut Ozil to return as last week they missed his creativity and spark. If Sanogo fails to fire, Arsene Wenger will not hesitate to bring in Olivier Giroud who was instrumental in Arsenal’s early season surge last year but who has been out of favour with the manager as of late.
It will also be a big test for Arsenal defensively as new signing and youngster Calum Chambers will be chucked into the deep end with the unappealing task of covering Romelu Lukaku.
Everton looked dangerous going forward last week and will hope their Belgian powerhouse can open his account for the season after he terrorised Arsenal the last time these two sides met late last season.
Although Everton have won only once from the last ten between these two, they will take great confidence from their most recent fixture with Arsenal where they pummelled the Gunners 3-0 at home late last season.
Lukaku, who was quiet last week, was a star that day and will be looking to make amends for last week’s performance by getting on the ball early and often.
Look for the Belgian to link up with Toffees newcomer Aiden McGeady. After a strong debut where he managed to get his name on the scoresheet. The Irishmen will be at the centre of Everton’s attack in the absence of Ross Barkley and the Toffees will be looking for much of the same from him as he was menacing in attack against Leicester, taking on defenders at will and finding his teammates in good positions.
Everton also have the added advantage of a week’s break as their opponents are backing up from a midweek trip to Istanbul where they were held to a goaless draw with Besiktas in the first-leg of their Champions League qualifier with the Turkish club but manager Roberto Martinez doesn’t exactly see it as a big factor in this weekend’s matchup.
“It depends how you look at it,” said the Everton manager. “I’m looking at Arsenal with the experience and know-how they have and don’t think playing on Tuesday is going to affect them negatively. They have a big enough squad to cope with that and the mentality to cope with that. If anything, it could be a positive because you can get rid of that rustiness and can get you into a real competitive frame of mind straight away.”
“You want to play teams like Arsenal early on in the season when they are not hitting their top potential, but when you see them in Turkey, you see them reaching full levels very quickly, and that could be a negative for us,” he said. “We need to replicate the level of performance from when we faced them at Goodison last season.”
Everton and their fans will be hoping the Toffees can repeat their success from last season’s repeat fixture and have a good chance as they catch Arsenal in their third game in seven days.
Both sides are fielding near full strength lineups and we should be in for a treat in what could potentially be the game of the weekend
Join The Roar at 2:30am (AEST) for live score updates and debate in our live blog.
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