Arsenal will spend Christmas at the top of the Premier League after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday. Viktor Gyokeres's first-half penalty was enough to secure the win, though Arsenal had chances to extend their lead. Manchester City's 3-0 win over West Ham earlier in the day had briefly put them ahead, but Arsenal's victory ensured they reclaimed the top spot.
The decisive moment came in the 26th minute when Everton defender Jake O'Brien inexplicably handled a Declan Rice corner inside the box. Gyokeres stepped up and confidently blasted the penalty past Jordan Pickford, registering his seventh goal in red and white. The goal was Gyokeres's first since returning from a hamstring injury at the end of November.
Arsenal had opportunities to increase their lead after the break. Leandro Trossard hit the post after a good move involving Timber, Odegaard and Rice in the 64th minute. Four minutes later, Martin Zubimendi also struck the woodwork after linking up well with Saka and Odegaard. Bukayo Saka had a shot cleared off the line in the second half as well.
Everton, missing key attackers Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, struggled to create clear-cut chances. They had a penalty appeal turned down when Thierno Barry went down under a challenge from Martin Zubimendi, with VAR deeming there wasn't enough contact. Everton's lack of attacking threat meant that Gyokeres's goal was enough to secure the victory for Arsenal.
Despite not being at their best, Arsenal produced 1.81 expected goals from 13 shots, compared to Everton's 0.2 from five attempts. The match saw an intense midfield battle, with Rice winning possession most often (10) and recording the most touches (114) and accurate passes (87).
With this win, Arsenal sit on 39 points, two ahead of Manchester City. Arsenal will be top of the Premier League at Christmas for the fifth time since the league was formed in 1992. However, they have failed to win the title on the previous four occasions. Everton, on the other hand, slipped to 10th in the table with 24 points.
Arsenal will face Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium. Then they will host Brighton & Hove Albion next Saturday on December 27.
In other Premier League matches, Liverpool defeated nine-man Tottenham 2-1, but lost Alexander Isak to injury. Haaland scored twice as Manchester City beat West Ham 3-0.
