Arsenal 2-0 Everton: Konsa and Gabriel Sink Toffees

Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes scored at either end of a controlled afternoon as Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, moving level on points with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Both goals came from centre-backs, and both summed up this Arsenal side. Konsa forced in his first goal for the club from a corner after seven minutes, and after Everton had threatened an equaliser either side of half-time, Gabriel rose to head home Ben White's cross in the 68th minute. Without the injured Bukayo Saka, Mikel Arteta's rotated team did not sparkle throughout, but they did enough, kept a clean sheet and took full advantage of City's lunchtime defeat.

Konsa Breaks Arsenal's Set-Piece Duck

Arsenal started with intent, winning a string of early corners, and the third of them brought the breakthrough. Martin Odegaard swung the ball towards the near post, Gabriel headed it across goal, Jordan Pickford could only flail at it and Konsa pushed the ball over the line from close range. It was the defender's first Arsenal goal and, remarkably, the club's first goal from a corner in the Premier League this season.

Everton, missing the ill Jack Grealish from their squad as confirmed in our confirmed line-ups coverage, responded well. James Garner forced a save from David Raya, and Tyrique George then flashed a shot that Ben White deflected out for a corner, from which Raya failed to gather and Gabriel had to react to clear off his own line. Raya was needed again when White's soft header back fell short and Thierno Barry flicked the ball goalwards, the goalkeeper firming up a leg to block. The visitors reached half-time still in the game at 1-0, but Arsenal had dominated the ball and the territory. Full match details are available via Sky Sports.

Gabriel Survives A Scare To Seal It

The second half began with a fright for the home fans that had nothing to do with the scoreline. Gabriel lunged to clear a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cross, slammed his knee into the turf and grabbed at his upper leg before leaving the field for treatment. He returned within minutes, and what followed was the moment of the match. Arteta, booked in the 65th minute for protesting a foul given against Viktor Gyokeres, refreshed his side with Bruno Guimaraes, Riccardo Calafiori and Kai Havertz, and a minute later White ran onto a through ball and clipped a spinning cross towards the back post. Gabriel, shrugging off Havertz in front of him, leaned back and snapped a header past Pickford for 2-0.

Everton kept coming and Dewsbury-Hall came closest, glancing Garner's whipped cross just wide of the far post, while substitute Hayden Hackney drew a late save from Raya. There were no red cards; Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked for Arsenal, with Vitaliy Mykolenko, James Garner and James Tarkowski cautioned for the visitors. The final numbers told the story of Arsenal's control: 58 per cent possession, 18 shots to seven and 12 corners to three, as charted in NBC Sports' live coverage. Max Dowman and Martin Zubimendi were given late run-outs as Arteta managed the closing stages.

So What Does This Mean For The Title Race?

Everything, potentially. City's perfect start ended at lunchtime when Aston Villa beat them 2-1 at Villa Park, and Arsenal have now drawn level with the leaders on 21 points from eight games, sitting second only on goal difference. That they did it without Saka, and with goals from their two centre-backs, will encourage Arteta as much as the result itself: this squad is finding ways to win the games title winners have to win. The test stiffens quickly, with a Carabao Cup trip to Fleetwood Town on Tuesday before a visit to Liverpool on Sunday 1 November.

For Everton the picture is more sobering. David Moyes' side stay on 10 points after back-to-back defeats, and for all their organisation they carried too little threat for too long, Barry isolated and Dewsbury-Hall left to create almost alone. They travel to Newcastle on Monday 2 November needing a response, because a promising start is in danger of dissolving into a mid-table drift.

Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: Arsenal did not need to be brilliant, and that is precisely the point. Champions grind out 2-0 home wins on the Saturday after a European away day, with defenders deciding the game at both ends of the pitch. Konsa and Gabriel were the two best players on the field, and a side that can win like this, level with City in October, is not going away.

Are Arsenal now favourites to finish the job this season, or will City's goal difference and depth still tell in the end? Let us know what you think in the comments.