Arsenal fail physical test at Everton; Dyche makes impact

LIVERPOOL — James Tarkowski’s Sixtieth-minute objective secured an opening-game 1-0 win for brand spanking new Everton supervisor Sean Dyche and inflicted a dangerous blow to Arsenal’s title hopes.

The league leaders hadn’t misplaced within the Premier League since a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United in September, however they did not match Everton for battle or dedication at Goodison Park. And Tarkowski’s header was sufficient to consign Arsenal to a fourth defeat of their final 5 video games away to Everton.

JUMP TO: Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid response

1. Arsenal fail physical test at Everton

Arsenal have to toughen up if they’re to win the Premier League title, with this defeat highlighting some worrying failings for the Gunners.

Despite the plain expertise in Mikel Arteta’s crew, Everton confirmed that when a recreation is decreased to a battle of dedication and physical endurance, Arsenal might be discovered wanting.

Having performed for Everton and skilled the Goodison Park crowd firsthand, Arteta can have identified what awaited his facet on this recreation. When instances are robust, Everton revert to scrapping for factors and getting the followers onside with sturdy tackles and lung-busting runs to trace again.

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The prime groups know deal with such an method — they stand as much as the physical problem and achieve superiority with their further high quality. But Arsenal did not do this and allowed Everton to develop in confidence with each 50-50 problem. Ben White, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli had been the principle culprits when it got here to permitting their opponent to win the physical battle, however Martin Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah had been additionally distracted by Everton’s method.

Everton’s objective was an instance of Arsenal being too simply crushed in a physical state of affairs, with James Tarkowski extra decided than anybody to win the header as he outmuscled Odegaard to nod house.

Previous Arsenal title challenges have faltered as a result of the crew has uncovered their gentle centre in difficult away video games, so Arteta wants to make sure that this efficiency was a one-off.

2. Demanding Dyche has immediate impact

Dyche has already had a galvanising impact on his Everton squad, regardless of solely being formally appointed as supervisor final Monday. The Dyche impact was evident all through this recreation.

The former Burnley boss was all the time a commanding presence on the touchline all through his time at Turf Moor, but it surely appeared as if he had applied emergency measures in his first recreation as Everton supervisor by taking his interplay with the gamers to a brand new degree.

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Dyche was continually urging his gamers on from the technical space, each from a tactical perspective but additionally with motivational applause or thumbs-up gesture when a participant had pressed with intent or produced an enormous deal with or cross.

His predecessor, Frank Lampard, was much less demonstrative on the touchline and his crew had been too passive at instances. That is unlikely to occur beneath Dyche and it was as if the brand new boss knew he needed to be a visual, dominant presence to maintain his gamers centered on the job.

Dyche has been unfairly pigeon-holed as a supervisor who performs fundamental, long-ball soccer. He is a wiser operator than he’s given credit score for and Everton will enhance beneath him. But towards Arsenal, it was a easy method. A 4-5-1 formation, full of massive gamers, and a crowded defensive third.

Lampard was much less inclined to play that manner, however his groups had been too open and Everton suffered for it. With Dyche they are going to be exhausting to beat, dedicated and now have a significantly better probability of avoiding relegation.

3. Title and relegation battle blown extensive open

This end result can have massive implications at each ends of the desk. Arsenal’s first league defeat since September has given Manchester City the prospect to assert prime spot once they journey to the Emirates on Feb. 15, whereas Everton are actually out of the underside three after a primary win since October.

When Dyche was appointed final week, solely essentially the most optimistic Everton fan — and optimism has been skinny on the bottom right here for some time — would have backed the brand new boss to get something from his first two video games in cost. But having began off with a win towards the league leaders, Dyche and Everton will journey to Anfield to face Liverpool on Feb. 13 with the idea that they’ll beat their Merseyside neighbours and climb even farther from the drop zone.

After that, relegation rivals Leeds go to Goodison Park, so Everton have made the right begin to what will probably be an important interval for the membership as they, as soon as once more, try and keep away from relegation.

Yet whereas this was an enormous morale-boost for Everton, it was a significant blow for Arsenal and their nerve will now be effectively and really examined within the weeks forward. Champions City know that these dropped factors imply that Arsenal might be knocked off prime spot when the 2 golf equipment meet within the league for the primary time this season in 10 days’ time.

Best and worst performers

BEST

Oleksandr Zinchenko — Just a sensible footballer and an enormous motive why Arsenal are the highest of the desk and chasing the title.

Abdoulaye Doucoure — Fancied the problem towards Thomas Partey and he carried out just like the dominant midfielder that Everton have to see extra of.

Vitaliy Mykolenko — The Everton defender gave a extremely sturdy efficiency towards Bukayo Saka. Sharp and dedicated all recreation lengthy.

WORST

Ben White — The Arsenal right-back has struggled for type since returning early from England’s World Cup squad. Beaten too typically and did not again up Saka going ahead.

Gabriel Martinelli — Continually tried to win free kicks for nonexistent fouls by Seamus Coleman. Needs to point out extra when he is up towards an skilled full-back.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin — Found some good positions, however wants to supply extra risk in entrance of objective and use his attributes to higher impact.

Highlights and notable moments

James Tarkowski scores the primary Everton objective of the Sean Dyche period.

GOODISON PARK ERUPTS AS EVERTON TAKES THE LEAD OVER ARSENAL!

📺: @USA_Network #MyPLMorning | #EVEARS pic.twitter.com/MUbGyy4Hym

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 4, 2023

Dyche made an actual impact on his debut as supervisor.

2 – Sean Dyche is simply the second supervisor to beat an opponent beginning the day prime in his first Premier League recreation accountable for a membership, after Alan Curbishley’s West Ham beat Man Utd in December 2006. Grit. pic.twitter.com/2mbKpcYalV

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 4, 2023

After the match: What the gamers/managers stated

Tarkowski talking to BT Sport: “It has been tough for us and the fans and for all the staff in the club. Hopefully this is the turning point for the club, there is a lot of talent here. It’s taken me a while, I need to score more. What a great time to do it and a great day. It’s back to work on Monday and we crack on. We’ve lacked that little bit of grit at times and that’s what the fans want. We’ve seen what it’s all about today.”

Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta on the sport: “Well I think Everton were really good. We have to congratulate them first for how they’ve turned things around and I think they made it difficult to win the game because they were really efficient. From our side disappointment because we didn’t get the result that we wanted and the performance doesn’t reflect what we’ve been doing especially in two phases – one, when they were really direct and we struggled to control that type of game and get back to the game that we wanted to play, and then with the amount of open situations that we generated in the final third that has to finish with goals and clear cut chances more than we’ve done today.”

Everton boss Sean Dyche: “The fans are going to be massive for us. I have been here [Goodison Park] when it has been rocking. It was rocking today. But we have to give the fans something. Of course I’m going to drive home and think what a great start but I’m not naive. We have to keep working and improving.”

Key stats (offered by ESPN Stats & Information analysis)

– Via Opta: Arsenal have named the identical beginning XI in 5 consecutive Premier League matches for the primary time since April-May 2015 (six video games).

– Arsenal’s earlier 4 Premier League away video games at Everton: 1-0 (L), 0-0 (D), 2-1 (L), 2-1 (L)

– Via Squawka: Arsenal confronted 8 photographs from Everton within the first-half. They have not confronted extra from some other opponent within the first 45 this season.

– Tarkowski’s final Premier League objective got here beneath Dyche at Burnley, vs. Brighton on the primary day of the 2012-22 season.

– Arsenal’s final defeat (3-1 vs. Manchester United) got here on Sept. 4, precisely 5 months in the past.

Up subsequent

Everton: The massive one. A Merseyside derby towards Liverpool on Feb. 13 at Anfield. Then a house recreation towards Leeds on Feb. 18.

Arsenal: Two house video games are up subsequent because the Gunners host Brentford on Saturday Feb. 11 earlier than a probably key match within the Premier League title race towards Manchester City on Feb. 15.