Arsenal vs Everton match report: Gunners go top after Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny score two in two minutes

Arsenal 2 Everton 1

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Arsenal made a slow start and endured a nervy finish here, but in between they turned on the style to reach the Premier League summit for the first time since early 2014.

Olivier Giroud, relishing a return to the first team, scored his third goal in as many games and Laurent Koscielny added a second before a deflected Ross Barkley goal gave Everton hope. With chances spurned, that was never entirely extinguished until, in the last minute of injury-time, Gareth Barry was sent off for two bookings to complete another frustrating Islington evening for Everton.

In recent years Everton have travelled to Arsenal more in hope than expectation, having not beaten the Gunners in London in 22 matches stretching back almost two decades. This time, though, they arrived off the back of an unbeaten away record and with a full week’s rest compared to an Arsenal side given a physical and mental work-out by Bayern Munich in midweek.

Arsenal did, though, have the confidence boost of winning that Champions League match while Everton’s last outing was a 3-0 home defeat. Perhaps surprisingly, Everton’s Roberto Martinez restricted himself to one change, Steven Naismith dropping to the bench with Gerard Deulofeu preferred.

Arsenal made three changes from the XI that started against Bayern, two of them forced. Gabriel came in Per Mertesacker, who was “in bed, sick”, said Wenger, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain came in for Aaron Ramsey, whose hamstring injury will keep him out of action for a month. In attack Giroud, a midweek scorer, was chosen ahead of Theo Walcott.

The opening stages, which were played amid soft rain, were cagey. Unusually Arsenal looked more dangerous from set-pieces than open play with Giroud and Gabriel going close with headers from Santi Cazorla corners.


 Olivier Giroud opens the scoring
 (Getty Images)


 Laurent Koscielny scored almost immediately after
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For their part Everton did not threaten at all until the 26th minute when Brendan Galloway, who impressed again as Leighton Baines’ understudy, took a shot that was deflected for a corner. That led to an Aaron Lennon cross that Petr Cech uncharacteristically shovelled into the box. It came to John Stones, whose every touch hitherto had been Rolls-Royce. This time, however, it was more JCB as he mis-hit the ball wide.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 36th minute. Mesut Özil was allowed too much space and time to pick a cross, which he floated perfectly on to the head of Giroud, stealing in behind Phil Jagielka to glance over Tim Howard in the Everton goal. Two minutes later their aerial fragility was exposed again as Koscielny drifted past a cluster of zonal markers to head in Cazorla’s free-kick.

That seemed game over. Arsenal were yet to concede in October having scored 10 goals without reply since the calamitous defeat at home to Olympiakos. But just before the break Barkley, who had been relatively quiet, drove forward and, with no support, tried a shot that looped past Cech off Gabriel’s shin.

Though the goal brought Everton back into the game, it was Arsenal who seemed invigorated by it. With Everton discomfited by the loss of their captain, Jagielka having sustained a knee injury in a challenge with Oxlade-Chamberlain, they created a series of chances. Howard had to rush from his goal to deny Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean was put through by Oxlade-Chamberlain. The American then parried a Giroud volley before being relieved to see a tempting Oxlade-Chamberlain cross just elude the striker.


 Ross Barkley's deflected shot beat Petr Cech
 (Reuters)

Giroud, seizing his chance after being on the bench since August, then hit the bar with a curling shot from Özil’s pass.

Having survived the onslaught Everton came close to levelling with 12 minutes left when Romelu Lukaku rose to head Barry’s deep cross only to hit the bar.

With Arsenal retreating nervously Cech had to make a sharp save from Deulofeu and deny Kevin Mirallas. But Everton were forced to leave gaps and the excellent Özil almost took advantage, hitting the post. It mattered not. As the clocks go back, Arsenal march forward.

Arsenal: (4-2-3-1) Cech; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Cazorla; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Flamini, 81), Özil, Sanchez (Gibbs, 89); Giroud.

Everton: (4-2-3-1) Howard; Coleman (Koné, 89), Stones, Jagielka (Funes Mori, 51), Galloway; McCarthy, Barry; Deulofeu, Barkley, Lennon (Mirallas, 70); Lukaku.

Referee: Lee Mason

Man of the match: Özil (Arsenal)

Match rating: 7/10