In what was an important match for varying reasons, Arsenal hosted Everton at the Emirates. With Arsenal having an opportunity to get into second place and close the gap on Liverpool, Everton came into the match needing a result to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive.
As expected, Arsenal were the more dominant side in the game, putting together some big chances and efforts on the Everton goal. On the other hand, the visitors hardly looked like attacking other than a handful of times when they ventured out of their own box. The second half saw much of the same but a slight drop off in Arsenal’s chance creation and quality in front of goal. In the end, Everton held out for a draw thanks to some solid, organized defending.
All in all, the game made for a slightly frustrating watch as Everton were content with sitting back and absorbing waves of pressure without really wanting to go for the game themselves. Arsenal on the other hand squandered a fair few chances, which could have seen them well clear of the visitors if not for lack of quality in front of goal.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs Everton
Goalkeeper
David Raya: 6.5/10- Hardly hassled for large parts of the game and was mainly restricted to the occasional collection of the ball and laying it out again for the defenders to progress or just hoof it out of trouble.
Defenders
Myles Lewis-Skelly: 6.5/10- Splendid at times with how he positioned himself to collect the ball or break up the opposition’s play. Showed maturity well beyond his years, and barring some rare lapses of concentration, put in a solid shift.
Gabriel Magalhães: 7/10- Made an impactful return as the vocal leader in the backline. Managed any breakaways well and dealt with a rare Everton shot at goal with some heroic defending.
William Saliba: 7/10- Solid in possession and very front-footed with his approach to the game. Comfortably dealt with any rare attacks or counter-attacks on goal and seemed the favorite to win every duel he contested.
Jurriën Timber: 6.5/10- Comfortable in possession, but lacked the offensive threat he usually carries to assist Saka up the pitch. Inverted into midfield a lot more and seemed uncomfortable at times in that position.
Midfielders
Declan Rice: 7/10- Showed industry, guile, and composure in the heart of midfield. Managed all counter-attack threats with calmness and confidence. Occasionally picked out an attacking teammate with a well-placed through ball or pass.
Mikel Merino: 7/10- Found himself out wide more often than in-field. Utilized space to deliver some very useful passes that could have been converted with better quality. Slid in for a fair few tackles and did not shy away from doing the dog work in midfield.
Martin Ødegaard: 6.5/10- Kept the attacking aspect of the team in balance, playing his teammates through on occasion and particularly showing more goal threat himself on the day. Was unlucky with a couple of great efforts in the first half.
Attackers
Gabriel Martinelli: 6/10- Uninspired, predictable, and basic with all his movements. Could not produce anything substantial despite being found in great positions by his teammates.
Bukayo Saka: 7.5/10- A stellar showing from the star man who was at the heart of everything great from the attacking side of things. Beat his man handily and was very clever with the timing of some of his runs. Could well have notched a goal in the first half.
Kai Havertz: 6.5/10- Grew more into the game after dropping deeper. Managed to get more involved in the play thereafter but was still liable to losing the ball poorly in key areas of the field. Showed bravery in contesting for a lot of crosses and forward balls.
Substitutes
Jorginho: N/A
Ethan Nwaneri: N/A
Thomas Partey: N/A
Gabriel Jesus: N/A
Leandro Trossard: N/A
Manager
Mikel Arteta: 6.5/10- Despite setting up his side well, made some very questionable changes in the second half which saw very little change in performance. Had the quality in his squad to easily get something out of the game but his stubbornness and rigidity ultimately did resulted in disappointment.
Everton Player Ratings vs Arsenal
Goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford: 8/10- Made a few spectacular saves to keep the Arsenal attackers at bay. Stood his ground well during the corners and set pieces and was confident in coming out to collect the ball.
Defenders
Vitaliy Mykolenko: 6/10- Really struggled at times to keep up with Saka, needing to be bailed out by a teammate at times. Held his nerve in difficult moments and showed great resilience in keeping the Arsenal star man away from goal a fair few times.
Jarrad Branthwaite: 6/10- Despite struggling physically, managed to see out the game and kept things tight at the back, and was always present to deal with any aerial threats and intercept the ball in key areas.
James Tarkowski: 7/10- Brilliant in defense, dealt with waves of Arsenal attacks with some astute defending. Put his body on the line at times and kept the backline in check and inspired a big result for the side.
Ashley Young: 7/10- Made a few erratic and clumsy decisions but was mostly solid, keeping his man in check and repelling any danger down his flank.
Midfielders
Idrissa Gueye: 7/10- Showed some extremely silky control on the ball, managing to navigate out of difficult spaces at times with relative ease. Did a lot of the dog work in midfield and was key in getting the ball away from his goal.
Orel Mangala: 6.5/10- Nothing exemplary from him on the night other than a good through ball he played to put an attacker through. Could have contributed more in terms of defending but did well to get into position during transitions.
Abdoulaye Doucoure: 6.5/10- Pressed high and pressed well, often being the outlet for his side during counterattacks. Had a great effort on goal denied in the first half. Played deeper in the second half and put in a solid shift.
Attackers
Jack Harrison: 6/10- Was very slow and ineffective in transition and offered pretty much nothing to the side today. Could have helped out his full-back in more instances and was rightly hooked in the second half.
Iliman Ndiaye: 6.5/10- Offered a little more in terms of getting the team further forward and grew into the game as it went on. Helped much more defensively in the second half and was vital in limiting the number of crosses coming in.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: 6.5/10- Despite the lack of offensive opportunities, he was the sole outlet for the Everton side. Held up the ball well in situations which allowed his teammates to get further up the pitch.
Substitutes
Jesper Lindstrøm: N/A
Armando Broja: N/A
Manager
Sean Dyche: 7/10- Set his side up well and inspired his team to pull out a big result against a top team. Made essential changes which were vital and managed the team well to see out the game.
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What was the result of Arsenal vs Everton?
The game ended in a 0-0 draw.
When was Arsenal vs Everton?
Arsenal vs Everton took place on December 14, 2024.
Who was the man of the match in Arsenal vs Everton?
Bukayo Saka was the man of the match in Arsenal vs Everton.
Who was the worst player in Arsenal vs Everton?
Jack Harrison was the worst player in Arsenal vs Everton.