SHOCK REVEALED: THE "UNSEEN" TACTICAL MASTERCLASS THAT PUT ARSENAL TOP FOR CHRISTMAS
Arsenal 1-0 Everton REVEALED: Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie lead a defensive wall that held Everton to a season-low xG.
We snagged the top spot for Christmas after beating Everton 1-0 away, our first time playing at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Viktor Gyokeres scored the only goal with a penalty. Adrian Clarke re-watched the game and pointed out what made us win on Merseyside.
Solid Defense
Our win came down to being solid and in charge.
We really focused on not letting Everton do much, and they only got 0.2 expected goals, which is their lowest this season.
We kept them at a distance without too much trouble. David Moyes’ team only got five shots (their second-lowest this season) and just one on target (tied for the lowest).
That one shot was a weak, looping header from Charly Alcaraz that went straight into David Raya’s hands.
That hopeful play was one of only two times a blue shirt got a pass or cross into a dangerous spot at Hill Dickinson Stadium during the whole game.
Everton – Successful Passes and Crosses
It was a team thing to shut down Everton’s attack, but Piero Hincapie should get a shout-out for dominating our third of the field.
He was tough and determined, clearing the ball a team-high ten times.
Rice Steps Up
Declan Rice was amazing again.
He hung back a bit more than usual, dropping between our centre-backs to start plays from our own half. He’d draw Everton in and then either pass forward or run with the ball.
He was key to our better play in the second half, grabbing important loose balls, like ten recoveries.
Rice controlled the ball, had the most touches, and was strong at winning it back and protecting our goal. He was in great form.
This chart shows all the work he did on the left side.
Rice Defensive Chalkboard – Recoveries, Clearances, Tackles, Interceptions
Strong on the Right
Our right side was where we looked best, with Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka gelling super well.
Timber timed his runs down the wing perfectly, and they were often too hot for Everton to handle.
Saka picked him out on this clever inside run, and a deflected cross gave us the corner that led to the winning penalty.
Timber kept bombing down the right after halftime, and Saka found him with a great pass.
Saka got a cutback pass from the right back but was unlucky when James Tarkowski cleared his shot off the line.
This map shows we got into Everton's area on the right side way more than on the left.
Vitaliy Mykolenko, Everton’s left back, was overwhelmed since Jack Grealish didn’t always track Timber or Odegaard’s runs.
Could've Won by More
We were all nervous in the last ten minutes because one mistake could have cost us the game, but we should've won by more.
We had some smooth passing plays that tore Everton apart during the game.
Two of those plays ended with us hitting the woodwork.
The first one would have been an amazing team goal. A sweet 14-pass play ended with Leandro Trossard hitting the post.
We passed through Everton’s pressure easily, got the ball down the right, and found some great angles to mess with them.
Odegaard passed to Rice, who passed perfectly to Trossard. He probably wished he’d curled the ball more to get it in the corner.
Then, David Raya, Declan Rice, and Leandro Trossard (whose pass let Riccardo Calafiori run forward) got involved. The Italian passed to Bukayo Saka for a 2v1.
Odegaard ran forward smartly and cut the ball back to Martin Zubimendi, who hit the post.
The stats might say we only had two shots on target from 13 tries, but we played some great passing football.
If we’d finished better, we’d have won easily.
Penalty Taker
Viktor Gyokeres has now scored 17 penalties in a row in league games since the start of 2023/24, and he hit his penalty on Merseyside with power.
Odegaard and Saka are both great options, too, but it was cool to see the leaders pick our Swedish striker to take it.
It helped both the team and Gyokeres, who hadn’t scored in his last five games.
Gyokeres smacked the ball in and put us back at the top.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
