Arsenal held by determined Everton

Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton

Arteta side were held by a determined Everton side resulting in another dent in their title bid. 

Arsenal 0 - 0 Everton - Arsenal fans watching on frustrated

Arsenal controlled 76% of the possession and registered 13 shots but failed to break down a resolute Everton defence, which managed just two shots all game.

Everton's first chance came as early as the sixth minute and arguably presented the best opportunity of the match. Abdoulaye Doucoure broke through on goal but hesitated, allowing Gabriel to block his angled effort.

From then on, Arsenal monopolised the ball but struggled to carve out clear chances. Captain Martin Ødegaard dragged one shot wide and saw another deflected effort clawed away by Jordan Pickford.

England's number one was in inspired form, making a brilliant reflex save to deny Bukayo Saka early in the second half. Despite Arsenal's relentless efforts, they couldn’t find the winning goal.

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Arsenal lack a killer instinct

The Gunners have now failed to win in half of their 16 Premier League matches this season, with back-to-back draws following last weekend's stalemate against Fulham.

While they dominated possession, their lack of a natural number nine was glaring. Gabriel Jesus was introduced with 20 minutes left but couldn’t produce the spark they needed. The Brazilian has now gone 23 Premier League matches without finding the net.

Saka had the best chance for Arsenal, only to be thwarted by the outstanding Pickford. Despite earning eight corners – from which they’ve scored a league-high 23 goals since the start of last season – the Gunners couldn’t capitalise.

Their best opportunity from a corner came in the second half, but Mikel Merino's weak header was comfortably collected by Pickford, summing up a frustrating afternoon for Mikel Arteta’s side.

More stories from Arsenal Football Club can be found here

The best reaction

The final whistle at Emirates Stadium on Saturday was met with a few boos from Arsenal supporters. They recognised this as a significant missed opportunity.

Arsenal held again in the Premier League! The Everton keeper made vital saves from Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. More reaction coming up here - eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com

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— SuperNewsAffiliate (@supernewsaffiliate.bsky.social) 15 December 2024 at 11:35

I spoke to one Arsenal fan after the match and they tried to explain some of this frustration. He told European Super Football: "Apparently, we crossed the ball 28 times. Without a centre forward to aim the ball at, it allowed the Everton defenders to clear it with relative ease." 

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