Poor Gunners Gunned Down By Everton

Arsène Wenger identified confidence as the cause of his latest ordeal on Merseyside, namely that Arsenal’s is lost and belief is surging through Everton.

It was an exercise in spin. Out-thought, out-classed and at times openly mocked by Roberto Martínez’s commanding team, there was far more to Arsenal’s sorry performance at Goodison Park than the “lack of charisma” highlighted by their manager.

Two months ago their Premier League tittle credentials were holed at Anfield. Their Champions League residency was placed in jeopardy on the other side of Stanley Park.

Arsenal have the experience of 16 consecutive seasons in the Champions League and an easier run-in than Everton, but the Merseyside club have the momentum, form and appetite in the race for fourth place.

Man-of-the-match candidates abounded in royal blue, the outstanding Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku scored in a win that took Everton within a point of Arsenal with a game in hand, but it was Seamus Coleman and Olivier Giroud who encapsulated the difference between these two teams.

In the 63rd minute, with Everton three up and en route to their biggest win in this fixture for 25 years, the Republic of Ireland defender sprinted up the field performing keep-ups for at least 30 yards of the journey. Goodison reverberated to the sound of ‘olé’. Moments later a 50-50 ball dropped inside the Everton penalty area. Giroud pulled out of the challenge and left Gareth Barry to it.

That timid moment sparked a furious reaction from travelling supporters who had to endure an Arsenal performance devoid of penetration, urgency and a response to Martínez’s tactical superiority.

Injuries have taken a toll on Arsenal, admittedly, but they do not explain the absence of creativity or defensive organisation from the seasoned internationals still available. The similarities with their last visit to Merseyside in February were not confined to the outcome.

As with Brendan Rodgers’ deployment of Luis Suárez at Anfield, Martínez gave Lukaku the task of exploiting Nacho Monreal’s weakness at left-back and shifted the powerful Belgian to the right of a three-pronged Everton attack.

“Against Arsenal you need to have a way of turning their possession into your threat,” said the Everton manager.

“It let Rom turn on to his favoured left foot.” And how. Lukaku was irrepressible but Naismith’s role in constantly stretching Arsenal with his intelligent running should not be overlooked.

Wenger’s team enjoyed plenty of possession. Everton gave them a lesson in what to do with it. A two-goal lead at the interval did not accurately reflect the home side’s superiority. It obviously could have been more.

Everton were compact and resilient without the ball, devastatingly quick and penetrating with it. Arsenal were the polar opposite. Baines and Kevin Mirallas prospered down the Everton left and it was no surprise when the breakthrough arrived from that source.

Everton’s opening goal  came after on-loan striker, Lukaku was denied by a fine Szczesny. The rebound fell to Naismith, who found the bottom corner.

The Arsenal goalkeeper also saved well from Mirallas and Ross Barkley at his near post, plus a deflected Naismith effort, whereas it took the visitors 40 minutes to force Howard into his first genuine save of note, an athletic tip-over from Lukas Podolski’s shot into the ground and up.

Everton doubled their lead through Belgium connection. The excellent Mirallas released his compatriot into space on the right and Lukaku rampaged beyond two defenders and sent an emphatic left-foot finish into the far corner.

Mirallas and Naismith were involved again as Everton doused any hope Arsenal had of salvaging pride in the second half. The Belgium midfielder dispossessed Sagna on the halfway line and drove at the defence before passing into Naismith’s latest intelligent run. Szczesny got there first but for some reason clawed the ball back across his area. Mirallas had continued his sprint and with a final touch from the lunging Arteta, the ball was bundled over the line. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rattled the bar and a fellow substitute, Yaya Sanogo, had a goal disallowed for offside. The gulf between the two sides, however, was glaring.