Arsenal report: Gunners play out a drab 0-0 draw vs Everton
Everton and Arsenal played out a goalless draw at Goodison Park as the incoming managers for either side watched from the stands. Mikel Arteta was announced as Arsenal’s manager a day prior to this fixture, whereas the news confirming Carlo Ancelloti to take over the Toffees came an hour before kick-off.
Interim Arsenal boss Freddie Ljungberg fielded a very young side, leaving Lacazette on the bench. Both caretaker managers saw their final game end in stalemate and have been relieved from their duties.
Ten minutes into the game, Alex Iwobi limped off the field with a hamstring injury. This was his first match against his former side since leaving the club last summer.
A foul on Richarlison by David Luiz earned the Toffees a free-kick in a dangerous area, which was shot well by Gylfi Sigurdsson but could not find the back of Bernd Leno’s net.
By this time, Arsenal were yet to create a clear-cut chance but the opponents kept attacking frequently, all of which went in vain without a proper pass in the final third. The Gunners slowed their build-up and were made to work hard the whole 45 minutes.
Lucas Torreira then put in a promising ball for Martinelli, who struck the ball hard but off the target. At the stroke of half time, both sides failed to muster a single shot on target and the possession was shared equally between them.
Jordan Pickford was immediately called to action after the restart when a Calum Chambers header from a corner found Aubameyang and the striker scuffed the ball at goal. The Toffees goalkeeper then tipped the ball over the post.
A moment of quality in the game came five minutes beyond the hour mark when Holgate found Calvert-Lewin after a lovely switch but the shot was deflected for a corner after it hit Martinelli.
Everton then produced few moments of intensity after a passage of slick, one-touch football was worked to the Toffees striker for a first-time shot, which was blocked by Saka. Twenty minutes from the final whistle, there was a VAR check for a potential penalty call against the youngster and was rightly ruled off.
The gunners tried their luck to break through with their pace but nothing went their way and the final moment of the game saw a clash of heads between Chambers and Richarlison. It looked worse for the Englishman initially but he was alright after the game was halted. The game ended in a dire 0-0 draw.
Here’s how some Arsenal fans reacted to the result: