SportsEverton Ease Pressure On Benitez With 2-1 Win Over Arsenal

Everton Ease Pressure On Benitez With 2-1 Win Over Arsenal

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December 07, (THEWILL) – Everton overcame Arsenal 2-1 in overtime due to Demarai Gray’s ferocious injury-time strike, ending their eight-game losing streak and easing increasing fan discontent with manager Rafa Benitez.

The game got off to a sluggish start, with an Everton supporter walkout in the 27th minute to protest Farhad Moshiri’s ownership proving to be tepid. There was some controversy when Ben Godfrey, who was playing at left-back, planted his right boot in Takehiro Tomiyasu’s face, despite VAR ruling it was an accident.

Richarlison headed in a superb cross from Andros Townsend at a free-kick in the 43rd minute, but it was called off by VAR because the Brazilian was marginally offside.

Despite the fact that Arsenal had put minimal pressure on Everton’s goal, the visitors seized the lead on the stroke of halftime, with Odegaard side footing in Kierney’s perfect cross into the bottom corner for his third Premier League goal of the season.

Richarlison was left upset once more when, just before the hour mark, he believed he had equalised with a low shot past Aaron Ramsdale, only for VAR to rule out his exquisite effort because he was inches offside.

Everton pressed for an equaliser, and Richarlison was finally given leave to score. Gray’s curling effort hit the crossbar, but he knocked in the rebound with a brilliantly weighted looping header.

In the 83rd minute, substitute Eddie Nketiah missed a golden opportunity to win it when his far-post header from point-blank range crashed against the post. Gray would punish that miss in injury time, cutting in onto his right boot and firing into the upright and into the net for a last-gasp winner.

In the final seconds of the game, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang squandered a golden opportunity to equalise, slipping his shot wide of Jordan Pickford’s right post to allow Everton secure a crucial three points.

With the win, Rafael Benitez’s side climbed to 12th place with 18 points. Arsenal’s third away loss in the Premier League maintains them in seventh place with 23 points as their momentum appears to be ebbing away.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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