MusaEverton’s impressive unbeaten start to the season, which stretched across their opening eight matches in all competitions, has now become a distant memory after David Moyes’ side suffered their second consecutive defeat. The Toffees were beaten 2-0 by Premier League champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium following a disappointing performance in north London.
Everton were without key defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who missed the encounter while following concussion protocols, while Jack Grealish was also unavailable due to illness. Their absence proved costly as the visitors struggled to contain Arsenal’s attacking threat.
The hosts took the lead after just seven minutes when Ezri Konsa reacted quickest to a corner, bundling the ball into the net from close range. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and young midfielder Harrison Armstrong collided while attempting to deal with the delivery, allowing the Arsenal defender to capitalise on the confusion.
The Gunners secured all three points in the 68th minute when Gabriel rose at the far post to direct Ben White’s cross into the net. The goal compounded Everton’s misery, with the visitors also losing their only recognised left-back, Vitalii Mykolenko, to an injury before the final whistle.
It was an afternoon to forget for Moyes and his players, with several individuals struggling to make the desired impact against the reigning champions.
Here is how the Everton players rated against Arsenal.
Jordan Pickford – 5/10
Pickford made a few useful punches in difficult weather conditions but endured a frustrating afternoon between the posts. His involvement in Arsenal’s opening goal was particularly disappointing, as he collided with Armstrong while attempting to deal with the seventh-minute corner, leaving Konsa with the opportunity to score from close range.
With England manager Thomas Tuchel watching from the stands, the Everton goalkeeper would have been eager to impress. However, he was unable to prevent Arsenal from taking an early advantage and was left helpless at the back post when Gabriel scored their second goal.
Merlin Röhl – 6/10
Röhl was moved from the right wing into the right-back position, with former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles starting on the bench. Despite facing a difficult challenge against Eberechi Eze, the midfielder-turned-defender showed determination and worked hard to limit Arsenal’s threat down his side.
He produced an excellent acrobatic clearance to intercept a dangerous delivery from Noni Madueke and nearly caught goalkeeper David Raya off guard with a curling cross-shot. Although he had some encouraging moments, Everton needed more from the team as a whole.
James Tarkowski – 7/10
Everton captain Tarkowski was one of the more dependable performers in the visitors’ defence. Moyes had previously described him as an important anchor for the team and praised his exceptional commitment in training, and the centre-back showed glimpses of those leadership qualities against Arsenal.
He organised the backline reasonably well and won an important aerial duel against Viktor Gyökeres. However, he could have done more to help Everton deal with the corner that resulted in Arsenal’s opening goal. Tarkowski also received a late yellow card for a challenge on Kai Havertz.
Despite the defeat, he remained one of Everton’s more reliable players on a difficult afternoon.
Jake O’Brien – 5/10
O’Brien was handed a rare opportunity to feature in his preferred central defensive position after Branthwaite was ruled out. The Republic of Ireland international was kept busy throughout the contest as Arsenal repeatedly tested Everton’s defensive organisation.
While he worked hard to deal with the hosts’ attacking movements, he lost track of Gabriel at the far post for the second goal. That lapse proved costly, as the Arsenal defender was given the space he needed to head home White’s cross.
It was a challenging outing for O’Brien, who will be disappointed not to have done more to prevent the decisive goal.
Vitalii Mykolenko – 4/10
Mykolenko endured a difficult afternoon against Arsenal. The Ukrainian has produced strong performances against Bukayo Saka in previous meetings, but he struggled to make a positive impression on this occasion, with Saka absent through injury.
His attempt to clear the ball before Konsa’s opening goal was particularly poor, as he swung at thin air and allowed the Arsenal defender to take advantage. He also appeared uncomfortable when Madueke pressured him into taking the ball out of play for a corner.
The left-back was subsequently booked for a challenge on White and was unable to prevent the Arsenal defender from delivering the cross that led to Gabriel’s goal. To make matters worse, Mykolenko was eventually forced off through injury, leaving Everton without their only recognised left-back.
James Garner – 6/10
Garner worked tirelessly in midfield but struggled to influence the contest enough to change Everton’s fortunes. He tested Raya with a low effort that the Arsenal goalkeeper found difficult to hold in the wet conditions, offering one of the visitors’ more promising attacking moments.
The midfielder continued to compete in the centre of the pitch but lacked the decisive creativity needed to unlock Arsenal’s defence. He was booked for a challenge on Mikel Merino and later moved into the left-back position after Mykolenko was forced off.
Although his work rate was commendable, Everton needed greater attacking inspiration from him.
Harrison Armstrong – 6/10
Armstrong endured an unfortunate moment during Arsenal’s opening goal when he collided with Pickford as both players attempted to deal with the corner. The resulting confusion allowed Konsa to score, putting Everton on the back foot almost immediately.
Nevertheless, the young midfielder continued to show promise and did not allow the early setback to completely undermine his performance. He made a few encouraging forward runs and attempted to contribute despite the pressure of playing against one of the league’s strongest sides.
The experience will provide valuable lessons for the youngster as he continues to develop at the highest level.
Brennan Johnson – 4/10
Johnson once again struggled to make a meaningful impact in Everton’s attack. Although the forward possesses the pace and ability to threaten opponents in dangerous areas, much of the match passed him by without him producing enough attacking quality.
His limited involvement made it difficult for Everton to maintain consistent pressure on Arsenal’s defence. With the visitors chasing a result, they needed more energy, movement and attacking intent from their forward players.
Johnson was eventually substituted following a largely quiet performance, and he will need to improve if he hopes to secure a more influential role in the team.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 6/10
Dewsbury-Hall brought determination and energy to Everton’s midfield, attempting to find openings against an Arsenal side that controlled large portions of the match.
He linked up reasonably well with Tyrique George and delivered a number of potentially dangerous balls from corners. However, Everton struggled to turn those opportunities into clear chances, and his efforts ultimately produced little reward.
His willingness to keep probing was encouraging, but the midfielder will know that greater precision in the final third is needed if Everton are to trouble teams of Arsenal’s quality.
Tyrique George – 7/10
George was one of Everton’s brighter performers, taking advantage of his opportunity on the left wing in Grealish’s absence. The young attacker brought pace, energy and directness to the visitors’ forward play, giving Arsenal something different to deal with.
He looked willing to take on defenders and attempted to make things happen whenever he received possession. One of his more promising efforts was deflected wide by White, denying him a chance to test Raya properly.
While Everton lacked the overall quality to threaten a comeback, George’s performance offered some encouragement and suggested he could provide a useful attacking option for Moyes.
Thierno Barry – 5/10
Barry endured a frustrating afternoon as Everton struggled to create clear-cut opportunities for their main striker. His best moment came late in the first half when he nearly intercepted a back header from White, but he was unable to turn the opportunity into a goal.
The forward did manage to win several flick-ons and produced some useful lay-offs to bring his teammates into play. However, service into the penalty area was limited, leaving him with few opportunities to demonstrate his finishing ability.
Although he showed some useful qualities in his hold-up play, Barry will be disappointed that he could not make a greater impact in the final third.
Final verdict
Everton’s defeat at the Emirates Stadium highlighted several problems that David Moyes must address, particularly their vulnerability when defending set pieces and their lack of cutting edge in attack.
Tarkowski and George were among the few players to emerge with some credit, while Mykolenko and Johnson endured particularly difficult afternoons. The absence of Branthwaite and Grealish did not help, but Everton will need a much-improved collective performance to avoid allowing their recent losing run to undermine the promising start they made to the campaign.
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