AUBA AND ABOVE
Arsenal 3 Everton 2: Aubameyang double rescues Gunners after Calvert-Lewin’s shock 1st-minute opener
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, they’re coming for you.
Arsenal are now just three points behind their bitter North London neighbours after dredging up the fighting spirit to maintain their unbeaten start to 2020.
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But while their jubilant supporters are getting all excited about the prospect of getting St.Totteringham’s Day back on the agenda, Mikel Arteta has ambitions far beyond a local squabble.
And any questions about the resilience of his players will have been answered by this nerve-jangling victory.
Two more goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and another from Eddie Nketiah were just about enough to see off a rapidly improving Everton team.
But they could have had few complaints if Dominic Calvert-Lewin had nicked a last gasp equaliser deep into stoppage time as Carlo Ancelotti’s men threw the kitchen sink at weary Arsenal.
Just 48 hours after returning from their Europa League schlep to Athens, Arteta’s team were dead on their feet as they battled to hold off opponents who had been resting up for 15 days.
The visitors came roaring out of the traps and were ahead after just 49 seconds when David Luiz failed to clear Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick and Calvert-Lewin sent an acrobatic bicycle-kick past Bernd Leno.
Calvert-Lewin wasn’t even born when the Toffees last won at Arsenal back in 1996 as Everton arrived in North London more in hope than expectation.
Yet Alex Iwobi could have extended their lead on his first return to the Emirates since his £34milion summer move to Merseyside, but lashed a curling effort inches wide.
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And Arsenal’s defensive problems continued to mount when Sead Kolasinac was forced off with an 18th minute shoulder injury following an awkward landing from an aerial challenge with Djibril Sidibe.
But Kolasinac’s premature departure proved to be a blessing in disguise for Arsenal as it meant an early opportunity for teenage sub Bukayo Saka.
For within nine minutes of his introduction, the 18-year-old wide man had secured his tenth assist of the season with an inch perfect cross for Nketiah to volley home from close range.
Suddenly it was Everton who looked likely to concede at any moment and they were picked apart again in the 32nd when Luiz’s precise through ball sent Aubameyang away to calmly shoot beyond Jordan Pickford.
But just when it looked as though Arsenal were set to take control, they were found wanting again deep into first-half stoppage time.
Leighton Baines’ corner was only cleared as far as Sigurdsson on the edge of the area and though he failed to make a clean connection, it was enough for Yerry Mina to head on for Richarlison to scrape the ball past Leno with the bottom of his studs.
Just as with Everton’s first goal, questions will be asked about Leno’s bravery as he failed to take control of the chaos in his six-yard box.
Yet this Arsenal team is nothing if not persistent and within a minute of the restart they were back in front when Nicolas Pepe crossed and Aubameyang got ahead of Sidibe to score his 19th goal of the season with a diving header.
That was Arsenal’s 110th Premier League goal against Everton, a competition record, and it was hard to believe that these two teams had fought out such a turgid goalless draw when they last met on Merseyside a week before Christmas.
That game was the day after Arteta and Ancelotti had been appointed to their new jobs and they must have been wondering what they had signed up for as they watched from the Goodison Park directors’ box.
Yet both teams have made remarkable progress in the intervening two months to spark hopes of European qualification.
Ancelotti sent on Andre Gomes for his first game since breaking an ankle 16 weeks ago as the visitors looked to turn the tide.
Leno atoned for his earlier errors when he pulled off a crucial 71st minute save to deny the impressive Calvert-Lewin from point-blank range.
Nketiah hit the bar with an 87th minute shot on the turn before Calvert-Lewin sent a glancing header agonisingly wide of the far post from Bernard’s 94th minute cross.
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It means Arsenal are now unbeaten in ten games in all competitions and are slowly edging their way up the League table.
But there will be no no respite just yet, with Thursday’s Europa League return against Olympiacos before an FA Cup trip to Portsmouth next Monday.
The games are coming thick and fast for Arteta and his players. But right now they probably wouldn’t have it any other way.
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