Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League by defeating Everton 2-1 in their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Olivier Giroud put the Gunners ahead in the 36th minute when he steered Mesut Ozil's cross past Tim Howard, while Laurent Koscielny doubled their advantage two minutes later.
Ross Barkley got a goal back for the Toffees before half time, and although both teams had good chances to add to the scoreline in the second half, Arsene Wenger's men held out for the three points.
Below, Sports Mole evaluates whether the result was fair.
Match statistics
ARSENAL
Shots: 20
On target: 5
Possession: 56%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11
EVERTON
Shots: 10
On target: 5
Possession: 44%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
The Gunners were in control of the match from the first whistle and built patiently at the back before they found their opener through Giroud in the 36th minute. Koscielny put Wenger's men in command when he notched their second goal two minutes later, and the home side appeared to be taking a 2-0 lead into the break before Barkley found the net against the run of play. Arsenal quickly re-established themselves in the second half and dominated possession and were a constant threat in the final third. The home side could have put the game beyond the reach of the Toffees, but they missed several good opportunities to secure the win. This left the game open for Everton to attempt to snatch a draw, but the visitors had similar problems in front of goal. Wenger's side put in a resolute display at the back in the final 10 minutes to see out the victory, in a game they had control of throughout. A deserved three points for Arsenal.
Arsenal's performance
Wenger's side put in an impressive display, despite not being at their clinical best in the final third. The play of Ozil and Santi Cazorla opened up all kinds of space for the Gunners to attack in and around the Everton box, which lead to a plethora of opportunities. However, Arsenal could only take two of their chances, which came in a fashion very unlike a Wenger-managed side as Giroud and Koscienly scored from headers from crosses into the box. The Gunners dominated the aerial battle in both penalty areas as the Toffees struggled to cope with the physical presence of Giroud, Koscieleny and Gabriel Paulista. They had a couple of decent chances before the Frenchman found the net in the 36th minute and the defender quickly helped his side take command of the match with another goal two minutes later.
The Gunners' play in around the box was sharp, but their finishing was not up to standard, which would have made the margin of victory more comfortable. Defensively, the home side were cut open on occasions when they committed men forward in attack, which led to Barkley's strike just before the break, although it did come through an unfortunate deflection off Paulista. The two centre-backs were solid for Wenger's men and dealt with the threat of Romelu Lukaku, limiting him to one opportunity. It was a good display from the Gunners without being excellent, which will please Wenger as his side moved to the top of the table.
Everton's performance
Roberto Martinez will be disappointed by his side's display as they never really managed to get a foothold in the match, despite Barkley's score just before the break. The Toffees were pressed back early on by Wenger's men and lacked the ability to break out of their defensive shape to apply pressure of their own in the contest. Everton were troubled by the Gunners' set pieces and eventually conceded from a cross into the box as they failed to mark Giroud, while Koscielny was similarly untroubled for his effort.
The strike from the England international in the 44th minute gave Everton hope that they could force their way back into the match, but they were put right on the back foot again after the restart. The pace and movement of the Arsenal attack gave James McCarthy and Gareth Barry problems in their role in front of the back four, where they lost the battle against Ozil, Cazorla and Francis Coquelin in the middle of the park. Despite their problems, Martinez's men could well have nicked a point after the Gunners failed to make their chances pay, but neither Gerard Deulofeu or Lukaku could find the back of the net with good opportunities. An underwhelming performance from the Merseysiders.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Mesut Ozil: The German was a constant thorn in the side of the Everton defence and midfield throughout the contest. The 27-year-old's incisive passing led to several opportunities for his side, and his pinpoint cross for Giroud allowed the Frenchman to head the Gunners in front. Ozil could have notched goals himself in the second half, but was denied by Howard and the woodwork. Wenger said that during the week that the midifielder was in prime form, and he justified that praise with an impressive outing.
Biggest gaffe
Howard almost allowed the Gunners to take the lead when he miscued his clearance in the early stages of the match, which was nearly pounced upon by Alexis Sanchez. John Stones made a solid covering tackle to save his keeper from embarrassment.
Referee performance
Lee Mason had a fine performance in the contest. Every decision he made appeared to be correct, and he was not fooled by the play-acting of Deulofeu as he dived to the ground to attempt to earn set pieces for the Toffees. Mason was right to dismiss Barry late in the game for a loose challenge on Kieran Gibbs to cap his solid outing at the Emirates.
What next?
Arsenal: The Gunners travel to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
Everton: Martinez's men face Norwich City in their League Cup clash at Goodison Park.
Simon Sinclair
