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Arsenal misses out on top spot
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WITH the tackles flying in and the noise levels ramping up inside Goodison Park, Arsenal’s players faced a huge test of their English Premier League title credentials in the final minutes of a tight game against Everton.
They caved in.
Ashley Williams headed home an 86th-minute winner on Tuesday to earn Everton a 2-1 victory and end Arsenal’s 14-match unbeaten run in the league. A win would have lifted Arsenal into first place.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blamed a number of factors: refereeing decisions, Everton’s physicality, misfortune. In the end, it was poor marking from two crosses that proved Arsenal’s undoing in Liverpool.
Leading through Alexis Sanchez’s deflected free kick — his 12th goal of the season — Arsenal conceded an equalizer just before halftime when Everton’s full backs combined, with Leighton Baines crossing for Seamus Coleman to head home unmarked in the middle of the area.
Everton’s winner also came from a curling cross into the area, with Williams rising unchallenged to meet Ross Barkley’s corner. His last goal was also against Arsenal, back in March when the Wales defender was a Swansea player.
Arsenal missed the presence and positioning of Shkodran Mustafi, the Germany center back who was injured in the 3-1 win over Stoke City at the weekend and will be sidelined for the next three weeks. Arsenal has lost three matches this season — twice in the league, to Liverpool and now Everton, and against Southampton in the League Cup — and Mustafi didn’t play in any of them.
Wenger’s team also lacked spark going forward, which was surprising considering Arsenal arrived at Goodison Park in free-scoring form with at least three goals in each of its last three games. On tough nights like these, Arsenal also missed the creativity in central midfield of Santi Cazorla, who is also injured.
Everton has been Arsenal’s most obliging opponent in the EPL’s 24-year history, with the Gunners winning the fixture 29 times and with just one loss in the past 18 meetings.
Not this time.
“We came back with great character,” Everton manager Ronald Koeman said. “If you show that aggression and commitment, it is difficult to beat Everton at Goodison.”
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