Arsene Wenger was able to name a very strong bench and it was the manager’s bold use of a triple substitution that gave Arsenal that extra impetus when the game was deadlocked. Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere were all withdrawn at the same time and replaced by Flamini, Rosicky and Walcott. The fact that the latter two combined for that opening goal just shows how effective the changes were. It’s something of a testament to Wenger

Sticky Toffees

It just goes to show how far we’ve come this season that home draw against an increasingly improving and dangerous Everton side is actually cause for disappointment. Admittedly, the manner in which they were able to snatch an equaliser so soon after Arsenal had gone ahead was incredibly frustrating but given their overall performance on the day, a point against a side with the fewest league defeats so far this season isn’t necessarily a disaster. While it was a game we could and maybe should have won in the end, it was also one that we could have lost so a draw was probably the fairest outcome.

For 40 minutes in the first half and spells in the second, Everton looked well in control and Arsenal really suffered to make any impression. As they pressed, harried and showed far, far more in the way of aggression, Arsenal stuttered and made poor use of the ball in the rare moments we actually managed to gain possession. Central to our struggles was a failure to take control in midfield. Santi Cazorla once again looked out of sorts while Wilshere and Ramsey both arguably had their most ineffective matches in Arsenal colours this season. McCarthy and Barry successfully put the shackles on them which allowed the phenomenal Ross Barkley to dictate the play, supplemented by the bold running of Pienaar and Miralles. To use a old Wengerism, Arsenal were looking somewhat ‘jaded’ which is a worry ahead of the Christmas run of fixtures. Hopefully this is not the case.

Öz conversion

As the game wore on, it certainly began to look the case that a single goal would settle it. When Mesut Özil arrived at the back stick to smash home Theo Walcott’s low headed cross with 10 minutes to go, you thought Arsenal had managed to grind out what would have been a monumental win. It was the German’s second goal in as many games and as one of Arsenal’s better players on the day, it is safe to say – as if there was any doubt – that he is truly justifying his huge price tag. You pay for quality and that is exactly what you get with Özil. His would-be winner here surely puts to bed the ludicrous idea that he only does it against ‘weaker’ opposition.

Del-ta Force

Sadly it wasn’t to be as less than 5 minutes later, Everton’s on-loan forward Gerard Deulofeu found space on the right hand side to and hit a rocket of a shot that had Szczesny beaten all ends up. Fingers can be pointed all over the place. Could Barkley have been prevented from charging through the middle? Could someone have been closer to Oviedo to stop his cross? Could Gibbs have been better positioned? All entirely reasonable questions but sometimes you just have to take your hat off when a player produces such a fantastic strike. Of course, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

As an aside, both goals highlighted the flaws in the very nature of what constitutes an assist. While credit is of course due to Walcott for his knock down, it seems a travesty that Rosicky’s brilliant ball into the box to set him up will almost be forgotten. It was that cross that ‘created’ the goal-scoring opportunity yet wont actually be registered as such. Similarly, all the hard work for the equaliser was done by Ross Barkley’s battering ram efforts through our midfield. Yet the ‘assist’ for Deulofeu’s goal goes to Lukaku for his fluffed overhead kick attempt. A reminder that you cant always trust what stats tell you.

Sub Machine Gunns

Similar to Hull on Wednesday, Arsene Wenger was able to name a very strong bench and it was the manager’s bold use of a triple substitution that gave Arsenal that extra impetus when the game was deadlocked. Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere were all withdrawn at the same time and replaced by Flamini, Rosicky and Walcott. The fact that the latter two combined for that opening goal just shows how effective the changes were. It’s something of a testament to Wenger to make such a move given the previous, not entirely unfair criticisms of his reluctance to make changes in similarly tight games. Had it not been for his opposite number’s equally effective use of a substitute, the gamble would have paid dividends.

In Reverse Gir

While Everton were unquestionably the better side for long periods of the first half, Arsenal could well have been in front before half time. Tim Howard made a couple of important saves from Giroud and Ramsey but it’s not unreasonable to suggest that both might have done better when presented with such golden opportunities. At the risk of sounding like I’m picking on Giroud (I’m not!), his overall contribution on the day was disappointing. I suggested after the Cardiff game that as good as he can be, he sometimes seems to lack that killer instinct. His intelligence to drop off and involve himself in the build up means his presence as a centre forward suffers. Distin and Jagielka didn’t appear to have too much trouble keeping the big man relatively subdued. The rare times he did get on the end of anything, he didn’t exactly trouble Howard a great deal. Even Özil’s goal came as a result of Giroud missing the ball completely as it floated across him just 6 yards out.

Yes, he could have rendered the above paragraph irrelevant had his astonishing last minute belter had dipped in rather than crash off the bar but as it is, Giroud’s brace against Southampton are his only goals in his last seven appearances (eight if you include his cameo as a sub against Chelsea in the League Cup loss). These are poor numbers. He is undeniably in worrying form and perhaps already starting to feel the burden of being the sole realistic choice as centre forward. It’s stating the obvious to say that needs to find that scoring touch again quickly but whether he does or not, it has become all the more vital that we strengthen in this area come January to at least try and alleviate the pressure on him.

Five Alive

Alas, failure to win but still 5 points clear at the top of table after rivals continue to stutter around us. It seems that whoever is to walk away with the crown this season is simply be the team that maintains the most consistency. There is currently a bit of daylight between us and the chasing pack but as we know, that could all change in the coming weeks. A win would have given us a bit more breathing space but perhaps the main thing we can take from this match is the reminder not to rest on out laurels just because we lead the way. This result will hopefully keep the players on their toes as things aren’t about to get any easier from here on. 

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