Everton 0 – 1 Arsenal
This was not a night of fireworks, but it was a night of control.
Arsenal will head into Christmas top of the Premier League, and they’ve done it without needing to be spectacular. This was a win built on patience, discipline, and a single, decisive mistake from Everton.
From the opening exchanges, Everton made it clear what kind of game they wanted. Compact, physical, and uncomfortable. They closed spaces well, challenged in midfield, and forced Arsenal to circulate possession rather than penetrate. For long stretches, the match lived between the boxes. Arsenal had the ball, but not the rhythm.
The turning point arrived not through invention, but error.
From a routine corner, Jake O’Brien raised his arms inside the area and handled the ball. VAR intervention was inevitable. Viktor Gyökeres stepped up and drove the penalty straight down the middle. No drama. No flourish. Just execution.
That goal told the story of the night.
From that moment on, Arsenal stopped chasing the game and started managing it. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard took control of the tempo, slowing things down, recycling possession, and ensuring Everton never found sustained momentum. Arsenal were not sharp, but they were secure.
They still carried threat. Arsenal finished with thirteen shots, hit the woodwork twice, and had twelve efforts inside the box. But this was not about volume. It was about control. Every time Everton threatened to raise the tempo, Arsenal drained it again.
Everton’s response after the break was honest but limited. They pressed higher, introduced Beto for physical presence, and tried to turn territory into chaos. Appeals for penalties came and went. Crosses were delivered. Second balls were contested. But clear chances never arrived.
Everton finished the match with five shots and just one on target. For all their effort, David Raya was rarely tested. He didn’t need to be spectacular. He just needed to be calm, dominant, and present.
As the game moved into its final stages, Arsenal leaned fully into game management. Possession was held in wide areas. Fouls were drawn. Restarts were slowed. Risk was stripped away piece by piece. It wasn’t inspiring. It was professional.
For Everton, the frustration will be sharp. They competed well. They limited Arsenal creatively. They stayed in the contest. But one moment of indiscipline and a familiar lack of cutting edge cost them again.
For Arsenal, this was a reminder of something champions learn early.
When the spark doesn’t arrive, control still wins games.
And sometimes, that’s enough.