Arsenal secured a 2-0 home victory over Everton at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to goals from Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães.
The result gave Mikel Arteta’s side three important Premier League points after a strong performance in north London.
The Gunners controlled much of the game, created several scoring chances and kept a clean sheet all through the 90 minutes.
Although visitors tried to fight their way back into the contest, Arsenal’s attacking quality and defensive strength proved too much for the visitors.
The Premier League Champions started the match with confidence and took the lead in the seventh minute of the encounter.
The goal came after a series of corners, with the Gunners making their pressure count during a scramble inside Everton’s penalty area.
Ezri Konsa got the final touch to send the ball into the net and put his 1-0 ahead. It was a welcome breakthrough for the home side and their first goal from a corner in the Premier League this season.
The visitors responded by trying to settle into the game, while the host continued to look dangerous whenever they moved forward.
The visitors had a chance to punish a defensive mistake when Thierno Barry intercepted a poorly directed back-header from Ben White.
However, goalkeeper David Raya reacted quickly to make an important save and prevent Everton from equalising. His intervention helped the Gunners protect their lead during a brief spell of pressure.
Mikel Arteta’s side soon regained control and began creating more opportunities. Eberechi Eze failed to make the most of one opening, while Noni Madueke fired two promising efforts wide of the target.
Mikel Merino also came close to adding a second goal. He saw one opportunity blocked before heading over from a set-piece situation late in the first half.
The London club went into the break with a 1-0 advantage but could have scored more goal if they put their opportunities to bed.
Arsenal continued to dominate after the restart and looked determined to extend their advantage. The home side moved the ball well and forced Everton to spend long periods defending.
There was a worrying moment for the host when Gabriel Magalhães suffered an awkward fall and remained on the ground.
The Brazilian defender appeared to have hurt his right knee, raising concerns among the home supporters as play carried on.
Fortunately for Arteta, Gabriel recovered and continued playing. His return proved important as he went on to score Arsenal’s second goal in the 68th minute.
Ben White delivered the cross, and Gabriel found space at the back post before heading the ball into the net. The goal made it 2-0 and gave his side greater control of the contest.
It was also a special moment for Gabriel, who marked his 200th appearance for the club with a goal. The Toffees continued to search for a way back into the game, but clear opportunities were difficult to find.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall came close with a glancing header that went narrowly wide of the post, giving the host a chance of staying in control.
Thierno Barry was also involved in a physical incident with Martin Zubimendi, with an elbow raising concerns over the midfielder’s nose.
The referee awarded a foul against the Gunners player during the incident. There were other disputed decisions involving Max Dowman and an Everton defender, adding to the frustration during the closing stages.
The host remained organised and managed the final minutes without allowing their opponent to build enough pressure to threaten their clean sheet.
Arsenal finished the match with a 2-0 victory against Everton as they narrow the gap between them and Manchester City who dropped points following their loss earlier today.
The Premier League Champions victory was built on an early breakthrough, sustained attacking pressure and a strong defensive performance.
Konsa opened the scoring in the seventh minute, while Gabriel secured the result with his header in the 68th minute.
Ben White provided the assist for Gabriel’s goal, while the opening goal came from a corner-kick scramble.
The Gunners will take confidence from the performance as they continue their Premier League campaign.
Their next fixtures include a League Cup trip to Fleetwood Town before an important league meeting with Liverpool at Anfield.
For the visitors, the defeat will be disappointing after they struggled to turn their limited chances into goals.
Arsenal will now look to build on this result, while Everton must improve their attacking threat ahead of their next Premier League match.
