Arsenal edge Everton as Gyökeres penalty sends Gunners top at Christmas

Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a gritty 1–0 victory over Everton on Saturday, courtesy of a first-half penalty from Viktor Gyökeres at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The result keeps Mikel Arteta’s side two points clear in the title race heading into Christmas, while Everton remain marooned in mid-table after another frustrating afternoon in front of goal.
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The contest’s decisive moment arrived on 27 minutes, when a VAR review ruled that Jake O’Brien had handled inside the area as Arsenal applied sustained pressure. Gyökeres, who had gone five league games without scoring, stepped up and lashed his spot-kick beyond Jordan Pickford, emphatically ending his mini-drought and silencing the home crowd.
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Arsenal had already seized control of midfield by then, limiting Everton to long balls and isolated counters that seldom troubled the league’s most miserly defence. Sean Dyche’s side failed to muster a single shot in the opening 45 minutes, underlining how effectively the visitors strangled the game and protected David Raya.
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After the interval, Everton pushed higher and committed more numbers forward, but Arsenal continued to create the clearer openings. Bukayo Saka saw a goal-bound effort hooked off the line, while Leandro Trossard and Martín Zubimendi both struck the woodwork as the Gunners threatened to put the result beyond doubt.
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Everton did rally in the closing stages, forcing a series of set pieces that briefly had the home support believing an equaliser might be coming. The hosts also had penalty appeals waved away, including one involving Thierno Barry and William Saliba, decisions that added to the Goodison frustration as time ebbed away.
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Injuries and absences again hampered Everton, who were without key attacking figures such as Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and struggled to find any real incision in the final third. Their expected goals tally barely rose above 0.2, a stark numerical reflection of how little they fashioned despite their late territorial pressure.
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For Arsenal, the win represented the ideal response after a flat display against Wolves the previous weekend and a powerful statement under pressure following Manchester City’s earlier victory. It also extended an impressive run of protecting away leads, with Arteta’s men again showcasing the resilience and control that have underpinned their title challenge to date.
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As the festive fixtures loom, Arsenal head into Christmas at the summit and with momentum restored, while Everton are left to search for attacking solutions to avoid their season drifting into anonymity. For Gyökeres, whose penalty separated the sides, the afternoon may prove a turning point in his season and a timely reminder of his importance to Arsenal’s ambitions.
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