Arsenal Suffer Home Loss Thanks To Keeper's Own Goal
24 April, 2021
Premier League
Result: Arsenal 0-1 Everton
Date: 23 April 2021
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Bernd Leno's embarrassing own goal condemned Arsenal to a 1-0 loss to Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Friday evening.
The Gunners made six changes, as goalkeeper Bernd Leno, Eddie Nketiah, Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Thomas Partey and Nicolas Pepe were all recalled as the Toffees were boosted by the return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The visitors had the first chance to go ahead in the 14th minute after Lucas Digne delivered a vicious cross at the near post but Calvert-Lewin's diving header missed just wide.
Carlo Ancelotti's charges were getting the momentum and Richarlison posed danger on the half-hour mark after getting past Mari inside box and curled a cross towards the far post but Leno made an excellent save, parrying his effort away.
Gylfi Sigurdsson was unlucky never to break the deadlock for Everton right before the break with a free-kick that bent over the wall but rattled the very best corner of the crossbar and the sides visited the break goalless.
The game was checking coming from the break and Arsenal thought that they had won a penalty eight minutes within the second stanza following the referee primarily gave them a penalty for a vacation by Richarlison on Dani Ceballos inside box but that decision was overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for an offside in the build-up.
Ceballos came near breaking the deadlock for Mikel Arteta's charges in the 68th minute after cutting inside on the edge of the box and curled a robust strike at goal that was acrobatically parried away by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Arteta made a double change in the 74th minute, as Martin Odegaard replaced Pepe in a tactical move in attacking midfield while Martinelli came on for Nketiah for fresh legs upfront.
Everton eventually went ahead two minutes later after Richarlison latched onto an extended ball over the top and dribbled his way towards the byline and made a cross that Leno fumbled into his own goal.
Arteta reacted by making a tactical change within the last seven minutes, as attacker Willian came on for defender Chambers and Martinelli came near to snatching the equaliser in stoppage time with a toe-poke across goal that was parried away by Pickford, with Bukayo Saka lurking at the back post.
Ultimately, Ancelotti's men held on to a narrow win that moved them to within one point of neighbors Liverpool in eighth place while Arsenal were stuck in ninth place, six points behind the Toffees.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za
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