Everton v Arsenal LIVE: Gunners held as Liverpool offered Premier League title boost by rivals
Everton 1-1 Arsenal: Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty cancelled out Leandro Trossard’s opener at Goodison
Everton held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park to help rivals Liverpool take another step towards the Premier League title.
Iliman Ndiaye’s penalty shortly after half time cancelled out Leandro Trossard’s opener and means Liverpool will have the chance to open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table if they defeat Fulham at Craven Cottage tomorrow.
Mikel Arteta started with Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli on the bench ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid as Trossard fired the Gunners in front on the counter-attack.
But Myles Lewis-Skelly brought down Jack Harrison moments after the restart and Ndiaye equalised from the spot. Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli were brought on but Arsenal’s best chance fell to Mikel Merino, who headed wide.
Liverpool could win the title by the end of the month if they win their next four games. The Reds play Fulham on Sunday, followed by West Ham, Leicester, and Tottenham on 27 April.
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FULL-TIME: Everton 1-1 Arsenal
90+4 mins: Booing from the crowd and the Everton players surround Darren England as Trossard kicks in the direction of Tarkowski but nowhere near the ball itself, putting him off from heading it. The ref seems to blow the full-time whistle way too early, then changes his mind, Everton earn a free-kick, and Raya comes out to collect.
England now blows the full-time whistle and it’s all square at Goodison Park.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
90+3 mins: Young concedes a corner under pressure. Saka takes but it’s Young himself who punts it clear.
Seconds left.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
90+2 mins: Kiwior does well to snuff out an attack by Broja. Garner takes a throw-in, headed clear by Merino, now sporting a black bandage on that cut from the first half.
As it stands Arsenal are 11 points behind Liverpool.
CHANCE! Everton 1-1 Arsenal
88 mins: Alcaraz gets a yellow for preventing Trossard taking a free-kick after fouling the Belgian international.
Arsenal are pressing for a winner now but time is running out. Tierney crosses in for Merino but the midfielder-cum-striker heads wide. The ball might have just slipped off the layer of Vaseline on his head.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
86 mins: Lots of applause as Dwight McNeil comes on for Harrison, the former back after knee surgery in December.
GREAT SAVE! Everton 1-1 Arsenal
84 mins: Nice move by Arsenal as Martinelli finds Tierney, who cuts it back to Odegaard in the centre of the box - but Odegaard scuffs it way wide!
Now Martinelli cuts in again on the left and curls it goalwards but Pickford gets his fingertips to it again!
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
81 mins: Everton have a free-kick. Harrison’s ball is floated in to Tarkowski, but his header is intercepted by Martinelli and after a bit of pinball the move fizzles out. Neither team has really made the most of their set-pieces.
Arsenal have had 77% of possession in this half but haven’t done much with it.
GREAT SAVE! Everton 1-1 Arsenal
77 mins: Pickford makes a great save, diving to his right to tip Trossard’s half-volley over the bar as Arsenal break, but the ref’s whistle goes for a foul as Trossard hauled down Branthwaite in the build-up.
'Real Madrid may not be quaking in their boots'
Real Madrid may not be quaking in their boots, assuming they are watching Arsenal today. But with Ben White going off after an hour, it may be a sign Mikel Arteta has him in mind to start in the Bernabeu. It feels a little odd that Martin Odegaard came on a few minutes later. Perhaps, were Arsenal still 1-0 up, he would not have done. But with Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli on, Arsenal will finish with a stronger side than they started.
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