Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 as Konsa and Gabriel seal comfortable home win

Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at home on 24 October in the eighth round of the Premier League, with Ezri Konsa netting his first goal for the club and Gabriel Magalhães adding a second-half header to settle the contest.

Arsenal finished with an xG of 1.85 to Everton‘s 0.54, took 20 shots to Everton’s eight, and won 12 corners to three.

Konsa opens his Arsenal account

Konsa broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, poking home from close range after a scramble inside the penalty area. The assist was credited to Viktor Gyökeres.

Everton threatened on the counter before the break. Madueke turned and fired low from the right on two occasions, in the 28th and 30th minutes, and both efforts went wide.

Eze also tested Arsenal’s defence, shooting just wide of the far post from the left in the 24th minute and having a long-range effort blocked in the 35th. George had earlier curled a left-footed shot narrowly wide in the 17th minute.

A moment of concern for the hosts came in the 44th minute when Ben White’s backpass caused trouble, though Raya recovered to push the ball away. Arsenal went into half-time leading 1-0.

Gabriel heads Arsenal clear

Gabriel briefly went down injured in the 56th minute and received treatment on the touchline, but returned to play a decisive role. Pickford kept Everton in the game with a save from Eze’s cross in the 61st minute.

Arsenal made three substitutions in the 68th minute, bringing on Havertz, Guimaraes and Calafiori. Within a minute, Ben White delivered a cross and Gabriel met it with a header to make it 2-0.

Everton lost Mikolenko to injury in the 73rd minute, with Hackney coming on as a replacement. Rice and Eze were then withdrawn in the 80th minute, replaced by Soumane and Dowman.

Everton pressed in the closing stages, with Hall missing a chance in front of goal in the 83rd minute. In stoppage time, Tielemans-Barry turned to shoot inside the box but Gabriel blocked on the line, and Ødegaard’s long-range effort flew over the bar. Arsenal held on for a clean sheet, having conceded just 0.54 xG across the 90 minutes.