Everton F.C.

Everton v Arsenal, Premier League: as it happened Premier League, Everton v Arsenal: Latest score, news update, live match report and result of the match at Goodison Park on August 23, 2014, kickoff 17.30pm BST Everton Everton2 - 2Arsenal S. Coleman19 S. Naismith45 A. Ramsey83 O. Giroud90 Arsenal 39,490Goodison Park FT TEAMS STATISTICS Seamus Coleman - Rare header: Seamus Coleman celebrates putting Everton ahead against Arsenal at Goodison Park Photo: ACTION IMAGES By Clive Whittingham7:48PM BST 23 Aug 2014 - Exclusive: Gary Neville talks to Louis van Gaal - 10 big questions for the Premier League weekend - Today's live scores and Premier League table Latest Email clive.whittingham@yahoo.co.uk or Tweet @loftforwords with your thoughts on today's game, suggestions - serious or otherwise - for who would be better up front than Olivier Giroud, or any other "friendly banter" you'd care to engage in. EVERTON 2-2 ARSENAL (Final Score) Coleman 18, Naismith 44 - Ramsey 82, Giroud 90 Summary: Well, where do you start with this one? Had Everton hung on and won 2-1, as they looked likely to do, it would have flattered Arsenal. Ultimately, the London side escaped with a point. The first half went much as this fixture did last season: Everton were far better, quicker, and more physical. Arsene Wenger picked Mesut Ozil, only just back in training after the World Cup and not noted for his defensive work even when fit, on the left wing against the division's premier attacking right back Seamus Coleman and paid for that odd call with the opening goal, scored by Coleman after 18 minutes when Ozil failed to track his back post run. Roberto Martinez, just as he'd done last season, fielded Romelu Lukaku wide on the right against Nacho Monreal and was rewarded for that with the second goal on the stroke of half time, finished by Naismith at the end of a marauding run by the Belgian. Arsenal will, quite rightly, say that should have been disallowed for offside, or a foul in the build up, but overall it looked like they would only have themselves to blame for yet another comfortable, heavy defeat on the road against a top four rival. On came Olivier Giroud, who admits himself he's not fit or sharp enough after a prolonged summer. Arsenal improved. Off went Jack Wilshere, ineffective once again, and on came Santi Cazorla. Arsenal took over. The Spaniard was wonderful, cunning, crafty. He laid a first goal on a plate for Aaron Ramsey and with Everton now defending so deep the back four really should have been charged for tickets in the front row of the stand behind the goal, the unlikely comeback looked on. So it proved. An injury time cross from the left by Monreal was powered in at the near post by Giroud. Had the game lasted another five minutes, Arsenal probably would have won. Everton will wonder what on earth happened. Arsenal fans will be unsure exactly how to feel about this - all the usual deficiencies, but refusing to cave in as they did last season. Quote Roberto Martinez, looking like somebody has run over his cat, says: "The performance was exactly what we wanted. We ran out of legs, they were going to throw everything forward, you get into a position where the third goal is vital. Tim Howard never had to make a save, we had another good opportunity from Kevin Mirallas… At this stage of the season we’ll take the result, obviously it’s a disappointment to drop points. In the second half we did something that’s not normally us, we sat back and didn’t control the ball." Quote Arsene Wenger says: "It’s a strong point because we were 2-0 down. It was a game of quality, against a good team, played at a high pace. To concede a second goal before half time we had to expose ourselves to counter attacks which Everton like. It’s a good point, and a deserved one. The second goal I think there was a foul on Mertesacker to begin with, maybe he shouldn’t have dived in. I don’t know if it was offside. I thought we would dominate the game and we needed physical presence through the middle – Olivier played very well. I hope we haven't lost him for the next game right at the end there - he's stretched his ankle and it doesn't look good." Quote Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini says: "We’ll say it’s a great performance form the team because being 2-0 down was not easy for us. Being 2-0 down was a bit unfair for us, but great spirit from the boys to come back. The manager said at half time there was space to create opportunities and come back. We believed in the possibility and we did it. Last year we came here and lost 3-0 so this was a great performance." Full Time Everton 2 Arsenal 2 90+3 min Giroud blocks a clearance out for a throw in and then collapses to the ground as if he's been shot in the leg. Not sure what's happened there, and neither is referee Kevin Friend who tells him to leave the field or get on with it. 90 min We'll have four extra minutes, and there's only one potential winner now. Arsenal have been a different team since Wilshere went off and Cazorla came on. They've escaped here from a game they were second best in for long periods. Goal GOAL! Everton 2 ARSENAL 2 (Olivier Giroud 90 min) An astonishing comeback is complete. Chambers starts the move with a smart pass out from the back. Ramsey appears to have badly misjudged a deep cross but in actual fact he's picked out Monreal whose near post cross is buried into the bottom corner by Olivier Giroud. 87 min Once again, Naismith uses his body position to shield a ball and win a free kick deep in the Arsenal half which, at this stage, is golden for Everton. They'll no doubt try and hold possession at this end for as long as possible now. 85 min Everton living on their nerves now. Arsenal win a corner which Giroud catches with a glancing header at the near post but the ball drifts behind. Wenger frantically rummaging through his wallet for that get out of jail free card. 83 min Everton respond by bringing on Christian Atsu, on loan from Chelsea, for a debut instead of Kevin Mirallas. Goal GOAL! Everton 2 ARSENAL 1 (Aaron Ramsey 82 min) Game on. Substitute Santi Cazorla gets to the byline and hammers a devilish ball into the six yard box which is gobbled up at the back post by Aaron Ramsey. Everton suddenly looking leggy, and defending deep. Bet in play now. 81 min Ozil, who like Mertesacker has hardly trained at all, won't be winning many friends and influencing people with this display. For a moment, with the ball at his feet and nobody around, he seems to forget where he is and what he's supposed to be doing, taking an age to turn and then handing Monreal a pass with a blue light on it that Coleman is able to seize and clear. Expect plenty of column inches about the lackadaisical German tomorrow unless he can produce something special late here. 77 min Everton's high pressing wins the ball back on halfway and sets up a four v four attack. Coleman advances and tickles a delicate little ball in behind Mertesacker looking for McGeady. The ageing German, only just back in training after the World Cup, needs that like Malky Mackay needs a text message from Iain Moody but he just about manages to get a toe nail to the ball and clears it behind for a corner. 76 min Another yellow, to Flamini this time, for a late hit on Naismith. The referee probably felt obliged to issue that card having stopped the game when Everton looked to be away down the left flank. Naismith has played exceptionally well for the hosts. 75 min McGeady immediately into the action, squaring Monreal up in a one on one situation and feeding the ball back to Naismith for a first time shot over the bar. 74 min Everton readying a change of their own. Romelu Lukaku, carrying a toe injury, replaced by Aiden McGeady. 72 min Everton starting to settle back into the game. Coleman makes quite the fool of Monreal and feeds the ball into the penalty area but Arsenal cope well enough. No surprise at all to see the ineffective Jack Wilshere go off for Santi Cazorla. Joel Campbell also coming on, although Oxlade-Chamberlain can count himself unfortunate to be replaced. 69 min Baines, all the way to the byline, honest enough to stand up when he could have gone down in the area having been tripped by Wilshere, cuts the ball back but there's nobody around to finish. 68 min A rare Everton attack sees Lukaku advancing on the Arsenal penalty box, but he dallies and tries an outlandish back-heal to break the move down. Straight back to the other end, Giroud free in the area, one on one with the keeper, Howard saves. Play swings back Lukaku's way and he runs Mertesacker back into the Arsenal box only for his shot to be blocked. Wonderful stuff, end to end. Mertesacker looks like he needs a new lung. 66 min That's as close as we've come to an Arsenal goal. Giroud turns on the edge of the box and snaps a first time shot past Howard and a foot wide of the post. It's better, and there's still plenty of time. 63 min Prolonged Arsenal pressure for the first time in the game. Everton sinking rather too deep for a team with 27 minutes still to play. Arsenal try one too many passes in the area, then Ozil overhits a cross to the back post, then the visitors inexplicably curl a corner straight out for a goal kick. 62 min Barry crunches into a fair but firm challenge with Ramsey that leaves the Welshman on the ground and the ball in the stand. Wilshere seen taking notes. 61 min Wilshere on the floor again, sinned against this time. Friend plays on and Arsenal are able to work a corner which, despite being mishit, flashes right through the area in a comedy of errors. Everton eventually cope and clear. E-mail Arsenal fan David Dean (no, not that one, different spelling), writes: "Wenger often stated that size was an important aspect of a footballer. Since the debut of Fabregas, it seems he wants to prove everyone wrong and that he can win with any side however small, frail and slow. He only fools himself. And frustrates the fans. I can't watch anymore. In fact I prefer watching Tottenham lose than Arsenal win." 56 min Wilshere, actually upright and having a positive effect this time, almost bursts through into the penalty area but is denied a run on goal by a last ditch tackle from Sylvain Distin. At the other end Chambers betrays his inexperience with a daft foul on Naismith wide left and takes a booking. 52 min Jack Wilshere, who we've seen absolutely nothing of all afternoon, announces his arrival in this game with a vile tackle on Gareth Barry. He's going for the ball, but he's taken a huge chunk of the Everton man's leg having gone to ground typically easily and that's an obvious yellow card. 50 min Everton's first attack of the half sees Baines go forward down the left and win a corner. They play it short, work Osman into the area, and launch a three month penalty campaign for handball that includes door to door calls, leaflet drops and rallies in church halls. Kevin Friend votes no. Replays suggest it could well have been a spot kick. 48 min Jagielka swoops in and cuts out Oxlade-Chamberlain's through ball looking for Ozil, potentially playing more centrally in the second half. Arsenal have started in a completely different frame of mind, but have they left themselves too much to do? 47 min Debuchy objects to a robust (Scottish for 'what's wrong ya big Jessie') challenge in the air from Naismith and has a little kick out on the floor right under the nose of referee Kevin Friend. Written off as boys will be boys and on we go. 46 min It should be 2-1 immediately. A decent, cutting Arsenal move at last. Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal's best player in the first half, delivers a perfect ball to the back post for Giroud to stride onto, totally unmarked, with time to watch the ball onto his foot, and volleys over from six yards out. 18.30 Olivier Giroud is coming on for Alexis Sanchez. A straight swap? One would think there must be a reshuffle to the shape as well. Everton: Howard; Coleman, Jagielka (c), Distin, Baines; Barry, McCarthy; Mirallas, Naismith, Pienaar (Osman, 7); Lukaku Subs: Robles, McGeady, Besic, Atsu, Stones, Alcaraz. Arsenal: Szczesny; Debuchy, Mertesacker, Chambers, Monreal; Flamini, Wilshere; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey, Ozil; Alexis (Giroud, 46) Subs: Martinez, Bellerin, Koscielny, Rosicky, Cazorla, Campbell 18.20 As much as things change, they stay the same. Arsenal lost all four away games against the rest of the top five last season, conceding 20 goals in the process. That included a 3-0 loss at Goodison Park and they're well on their way to a similar set back here in 2014/15 if it carries on like this. At the risk of sparking a glorious comeback from the visitors, it's nights like this that make you wonder exactly what Arsene Wenger is thinking. When his team were unbeatable it had real physical presence to it - Vieira, Petit, Keown, Adams, Henry. They were all massive, as well as being terrific footballers, just as many of the Chelsea and Manchester City players are now. Once again this season Arsenal are the shortest Premier League team by average height, the lightest Premier League team by average weight, and on this evidence the easiest Premier League team to physically intimidate. Everton are doing nothing different in this game to when they won the corresponding fixture last season - in fact, they're not actually doing it quite as well, and were thoroughly disjointed for the first 20 minutes or so - but it's enough to lead Arsenal in similar style. Wenger picked Ozil, who for all his talent is suspect defensively, on the left wing against the division's finest attacking right back Seamus Coleman and paid for that choice after 18 minutes when the latter stole a march on the former and headed home unmarked at the back post. The Arsenal boss will almost certainly have a good long whinge about the second goal, which referee Kevin Friend should have first brought back for foul by Lukaku on Mertesacker, and then disallowed for offside on the eventual scorer Steven Naismith. But, in the humble opinion of some nobody spending his Saturday doing live football blogs, it's Wenger who must bear the responsibility for what's happened so far tonight. Once again, out thought by Roberto Martinez. Still, 45 minutes to go, let's see what the London-side have left to offe