But, from an Everton point of view, it was a great team effort that
earned us a well deserved point from a team we haven't taken anything
off away from home in 10 years!
And I'd maintain that it was a well deserved point even in the face of
the Gunners' 72 per cent possession and 17 shots off target!
The fact that Arsenal had that much possession and that many shots off
target was, in no short measure, because of the Blues' game plan.
Against Reading last week, the Gunners were given a free run of the
pitch and were allowed to walk the ball into the net four times.
Against Everton however, they were, by and large, restricted to long
shots…although, to be fair, they were still allowed to pass the ball
about pretty much anywhere they wanted.
But it was Everton, like Villa and Boro before them, that took the lead
at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta swung a corner into the six yard box where it was met by
the onrushing Tim Cahill.
The Arsenal defence, distracted by the run of Jospeh Yobo, allowed
Cahill to run onto the cross unmarked and, although he didn't get a
clean connection on the ball, he was alert enough to stab a volley past
Jens Lehmann as the German fruit cake waited for the ball to drop into
his hands.
From then on Arsenal took hold of the match and tried to prise open the
Everton defence.
But, even when they did manage to break through the Everton backline
they had Tim Howard to beat and the American stopper was immense in the
Everton goal.
He repelled all but one of their six shots on target, the most notable
of which was a sprawling dive from a Thierry Henry header in the opening
stages of the second half.
After being frustrated by the Everton defence for much of the match,
Arsenal eventually levelled matters via a dubious free kick 71 minutes
into the match.
Thomas Rosicky picked up the ball midway in the Everton half but his run
towards the area was stopped by, what appeared to be, a great challenge
from Lee Carsley.
Replays showed that he may have clipped Rosicky, but he clearly got
enough of the ball first for it to be deemed a legitimate challenge.
But Mike Riley who, and I'm risking sounding like Neil Warnock here,
seemed desperate to get Arsenal back into the game, gave the Gunners a
free kick on the egde of the box.
Henry and Robert van Persie, who had both already hit the wall with a
couple of similarly placed free kicks, were both stood over the ball and
it was the Dutchman that fired a shot past Howard.
The Everton ‘keeper got a hand to the ball but the power of the shot
took it into the roof of the net.
The game then slipped into the same pattern of play as the previous hour
as the Blues defence stood firm and took everything that Arsenal could
through at them to earn a point at Arsenal for the first time since
1996/97.
David Moyes got sent to the stands in stoppage time for the heinous
crime of standing in his technical area and theatrically looking at his
watch.
Mike Riley clearly didn't like the…er…Mick being taken out of him and
dismissed the Everton gaffer.
But Moyes protestations were borne of the amount of time that Riley
played at the end of the first half.
The board came up for two minutes to be added on but, after the two
minutes were up, the official played on as Arsenal won, and then took, a
corner.
He only blew up as the corner was cleared and Andy Johnson was one on
one with Kolo Toure on the halfway line.
So, although it was a minimum of two minutes and, in theory, the ref can
play as long as he wants, you can see where Moyes was coming from.
But it was a good result for the Blues and we need to get another result
at Craven Cottage next week to keep the momentum going.
And, just like Tottenham and Arsenal, we're well overdue a result away
at Fulham!