Arsenal made the most of Manchester City’s defeat at Aston Villa, beating Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, October 24. Mikel Arteta’s side collected their seventh league victory in eight matches, moving level with City on 21 points at the top of the 2026/27 Premier League table.
Arteta made five changes after Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich, handing Viktor Gyökeres his first league start of the campaign. Bukayo Saka missed the match through injury, leaving Arsenal without a major attacking threat.
The hosts struck in the seventh minute. Martin Ødegaard delivered a corner, Gabriel Magalhães flicked the ball goalwards, and Ezri Konsa reacted quickest to score from close range. The goal ended Arsenal’s run of 13 matches without a non-penalty set-piece goal.
Everton threatened before half-time when Ben White’s poor backheader presented Thierno Barry with a chance, but David Raya made a crucial save. Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke threatened at the other end, although Arsenal couldn’t find a second goal before the interval.
After the restart, Everton struggled to create sustained pressure, while Gabriel overcame an injury scare to continue. Arteta’s triple substitution in the 68th minute proved decisive. Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimarães entered the contest, and White soon delivered an excellent cross for Gabriel to head home on his 200th Premier League appearance.
Arsenal finished with 58% possession, 20 shots and 12 corners, compared with Everton’s eight attempts. The centre-backs supplied both goals, but several teammates made important contributions.
Arsenal player ratings vs Everton:
Goalkeeper and defenders
David Raya – 7/10: Made three saves, including a vital stop against Barry before half-time. His intervention protected Arsenal’s lead when White’s defensive error threatened to change the contest.
Ben White – 7.5/10: Delivered the cross for Gabriel’s goal after an excellent overlapping run. However, his weak backheader nearly gifted Everton an equaliser.
Ezri Konsa – 7.5/10: Scored his first Arsenal goal with an instinctive finish from close range. The England defender helped keep Everton’s forwards under control.
Gabriel Magalhães – 8/10: Flicked on the corner for Konsa before heading home Arsenal’s second. His defensive work and determination after an injury scare earned him the highest rating.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – 7/10: Supported Arsenal’s build-up with intelligent movement into midfield. The youngster worked diligently before Riccardo Calafiori replaced him.
Midfielders
Declan Rice – 7.5/10: Created four chances and helped Arsenal control possession. His distribution kept the hosts moving forward, while his work off the ball restricted Everton’s opportunities to build attacks.
Mikel Merino – 6.5/10: Nearly scored with a first-half header and provided useful movement around Everton’s penalty area. He helped Arsenal maintain pressure before Bruno Guimarães replaced him in the 68th minute.
Martin Ødegaard – 7.5/10: Delivered the corner that produced the opener and linked Arsenal’s attacking moves with intelligent passing. His movement between the lines gave the hosts another route through Everton’s defence.
Forwards
Noni Madueke – 7/10: Carried the ball at Everton’s defenders and threatened with a powerful effort. His direct running stretched the visitors, although he couldn’t turn those promising moments into a goal.
Eberechi Eze – 7/10: Found dangerous spaces behind Everton’s defence and contributed to Arsenal’s attacking combinations. However, a few misplaced passes interrupted his rhythm when the hosts looked to build on their early advantage.
Viktor Gyökeres – 7/10: Earned the assist for Konsa’s opener and battled effectively against Everton’s centre-backs. Although the Swedish striker couldn’t score, his involvement in the opening goal gave Arsenal the platform to control the contest.
Substitutes
Kai Havertz – 7/10: Replaced Gyökeres and gave Arsenal another option around the penalty area. His movement helped the hosts retain an attacking threat as Everton tried to find an equaliser.
Riccardo Calafiori – 6.5/10: Replaced Lewis-Skelly and helped Arsenal maintain their defensive shape. The Italian also offered support down the left as the hosts protected their advantage.
Bruno Guimarães – 7/10: Entered for Merino and brought composure to midfield. His ability to retain possession helped Arsenal settle after the substitutions and limit Everton’s opportunities to build momentum.
Martín Zubimendi – 6.5/10: Replaced Rice in the 80th minute and helped Arsenal retain control late in the match. His introduction allowed Arteta to preserve midfield structure during the closing stages.
Max Dowman – 6.5/10: Came on for Eze in the 80th minute and helped Arsenal see out a valuable victory. The youngster provided fresh legs as the hosts concentrated on protecting their two-goal lead.
