Arsenal 0-0 Everton LIVE RESULT: Lacklustre Gunners drop points yet again as they fail to close gap on Liverpool
ARSENAL have dropped points yet again in the title race after a goalless draw with Everton.
The Gunners drew with Fulham last time out and failed to create clear chances in a well-deserved point for Sean Dyche's Toffees at the Emirates.
The result leaves Arsenal still six points off Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
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That's all from the Emirates
It was an afternoon that promised much, but ultimately delivered little as Arsenal missed the opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Seventy-seven percent possession and 682 passes, and yet somehow the Gunners only tested Jordan Pickford on a handful of occasions.
It means it's back-to-back draws for the Londoners, who need to find their goalscoring form over Christmas if they are to start the new year as a genuine title challenger.
Next up it's two tests against Crystal Palace, and it's arguable that next Saturday's trip to Selhurst is more important that the League Cup quarter-final that awaits on Wednesday.
Either way, we'll be here for both, and ready to bring you the best of the action.
Thanks for reading, and goodnight.
Lewis-Skelly in good company
Arsenal fans may be struggling to find the positives in today's draw with Everton, but the performance of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly is yet again a reason to be cheerful.
At 18 years and 79 days, the left-back became the fifth-youngest player to make a first Premier League start for Arsenal - following in the footsteps of a fine array of stars.
The only starters younger than Lewis-Skelly are Cesc Febregas (17y 103d), Theo Walcott (17y 212d), Bukayo Saka (18y 17d) and Serge Gnabry (18y 70d).
Arteta: Gunners 'did everything right'
Mikel Arteta believes his side's performance in the 0-0 home draw with Everton this afternoon was perfect - right up until the final touches.
His Arsenal team dominated the play throughout, but were unable to break down a defensive rearguard marshalled by James Tarkowski and protected brilliantly by Jordan Pickford.
We are very disappointed not to win the game because we fully deserved to. We conceded no shots on target, we dominated the direct play that they wanted to generate the chaos from, they had no set-pieces, and they didn't run. We did all the right things up until the last 20 metres. We generated big chances, but didn't manage to score.
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal and Everton come clean
So Arsenal have now drawn back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since April 2023, when they were held for three games in succession.
Meanwhile, this was their first goalless draw at the Emirates since January 2023 against Newcastle.
But perhaps this is a scoreline we should have seen coming.
After all, Arsenal (17) and Everton (13) are the two clubs to have kept the most clean sheets in the top-flight in 2024.
The Toffees have kept six of those clean sheets in their last nine Premier League games - and have failed to score in as many during the same period.
And since the dawn of the Premier League in 1992, the Merseysiders have now played out 109 goalless draws, the most of any club in the competition’s history,
Arteta defends Odegaard substitution
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has defended his decision to replace his captain Martin Odegaard with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri.
The Spanish gaffer surprised fans with a double substitution just after the hour mark in which he brought on Nwaneri and Jorginho for Odegaard and Declan Rice.
But speaking after the game, Arteta insisted that he was simply looking for an alternative ways to find the elusive breakthrough.
With Declan I had to take him off because he was feeling something, but with Martin it was a tactical decision. If Ethan comes on and scores then it’s a great substitution - but if he doesn’t then you’ve taken your captain off. It’s football.
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal blank at the Emirates
With just 17 days of the year remaining, Arsenal failed to score in a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium for the second time in 2024.
And you have to go back 244 days and to last season for the last time, that 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa that proved so pivotal to the title race.
Around the Premier League grounds
The gap between Arsenal and Liverpool remains six points at the top, but there's a sense of what might have been among those fans leaving the Emirates Stadium.
For long periods of the afternoon, it looked as though the league leaders - down to ten men early on - were going to be beaten by Fulham, but Diogo Jota's late equaliser coupled with the Gunners' inability to breakdown Everton makes this feel like a missed opportunity to close the gap.
Elsewhere, Newcastle thumped Ruud van Nistelrooy's Leicester while Ipswich piled more-pressure on Gary O'Neil with a last-gasp winner at Wolves.
- Arsenal 0-0 Everton
- Liverpool 2-2 Fulham
- Newcastle 4-0 Leicester
- Wolves 1-2 Ipswich
Match stats from the Emirates
Arsenal's 682 passes are the most they've put together in a Premier League game this season - but for the third time this campaign, the Gunners failed to trouble the scorers.
Full time - Arsenal 0-0 Everton
It's all over at the Emirates, and is that also it for Arsenal's title challenge?
Perhaps that question will have a different mean depending on what happens in the nine minutes of stoppage time currently being played at Anfield.
Back here in London, the Gunners simply did not do enough despite dominating from the first minute.
Because for all their possession play, Mikel Arteta's team rarely threatened for long periods - and when they did, Jordan Pickford reminded all why he's England's number one goalkeeper.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
90+3. The answer to that last question appears to be no.
Everton win a free-kick, and Jordan Pickford is preparing to launch it forward into the abyss with only seconds left on the clock.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
90+2. Everton win a corner, it's only their second of the game.
The Toffees don't commit too many forward, but Tarkowski still manages to get his head on the ball before Raya claims.
Is there one more chance for the Gunners?
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
90. Arsenal have four minutes of stoppage time to find a winner.
Mikel Arteta, arms folded and fed up, looks on, knowing he can do no more.
Suddenly, it's the Everton fans making all the noise.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
89. Desperate claims for an Arsenal penalty as Partey is upended by Mykolenko inside the box.
The VAR officials do take a good look, but the Ukrainian clearly got a foot on the ball as he made the challenge. No spotkick!
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
88. Two minutes of the 90 remain.
Every player bar David Raya is in the Everton half. Those in blue are camped.
Mikel Arteta is patrolling the touchline, he's almost on the pitch.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
86. It's fast. It's frantic. It's furious.
But it's still goalless.
Meanwhile, Mykolenko hammers off the line after Saliba had edged a scramble goalwards.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
84. A brilliant cross from Trossard looks perfect for Saka, but the forward had arrived a split-second too early.
Instead, he knocks it down for Jesus, whose turn and shot is blocked by Branthwaite.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
82. Armando Broja is yellow carded for time wasting.
Which is also an accurate description of his loan spell at Fulham this season.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
81. Inside the final ten minutes, and Everton have retreated into a defensive pack.
Arsenal can't find a way through. You feel their league season hinges on these final moments.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
79. Jordan Pickford goes into Craig Pawson's book after clattering the ball upfield, a split-second after it had been called dead for an offside infringement.
'Ave it!
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
77. Saka whips a cross in from the right that skids up off the turf, and completely takes Havertz by surprise.
With the German out of action, the ball races on and is almost converted by Gabriel, but he instead steers it the wrong way.
Everton survive again.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
75. A fifth and final change from the Gunners.
Leandro Trossard replaces Gabriel Martinelli, and races straight up to join the attack on the left.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
73. The first yellow card of the game is shown to Everton's Ashley Young.
It's not a particularly bad challenge, more of a clumsy one as the veteran trips Martinelli inside the visitors' half.
From Dan King at the Emirates
All change for Arsenal with four subs on now, with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard both off.
But no change in the score yet and you can hear the growing anxiety at the Emirates.
David Raya is yet to make a save but Everton have been better this half, restricting the Gunners to fewer chances.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
70. Saka weaves his way to the touchline, but his lifted cross is way beyond any approaching Arsenal attackers.
It's the story of the afternoon for the Gunners so far.
Arsenal 0-0 Everton
68. A quarter of the game remains and there is a sense of nervous frustration in the air.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta throws another couple of new faces into the mix - Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus - as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Mikel Merino are withdrawn.