LIVERPOOL:
Everton struck a huge blow in the battle to qualify for the Champions
League with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Arsenal at Goodison Park on
Sunday.
Strikers Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku
both scored for Everton in the first half, while Arsenal midfielder
Mikel Arteta added a third with an own-goal in the second period in a
match the home side dominated.
The result meant
fifth-placed Everton closed the gap on Arsene Wenger´s side in fourth
place to just a single point, and the Toffees also have a Premier League
game in hand over their London rivals.
Everton manager
Roberto Martinez handed Naismith, who impressed from the bench against
Fulham last time out, a place in the starting line-up ahead of Ross
Barkley while Kevin Mirallas was preferred to Gerard Deulofeu.
Arsenal
had Aaron Ramsey back in their squad for the first time since December
after his recovery from a thigh injury but he had to settle for a place
among the substitutes while Nacho Monreal started in place of Kieran
Gibbs, who had an ankle injury, at left-back.
Leon Osman
signalled Everton´s intent and went close with a curling effort from
distance, which had Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny worried, that
just went over the crossbar.
Osman, named Everton captain
for the day, was forced off moments later with a nasty cut on his face
after Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna landed on him and was replaced by
Barkley. But despite his absence the Toffees zipped the ball about with
confidence and a slick move in the 14th minute allowed Naismith to put
the hosts ahead.
A teasing ball into the area from
left-back Leighton Baines found Lukaku who saw his shot from near the
penalty spot parried by Szczesny, but Naismith was quickest to react and
confidently placed the ball into the corner of the unguarded net.
Everton´s
pressure on the Arsenal goal was relentless and Barkley drew a smart
save on the half-hour mark from Szczesny before Mirallas had the Poland
international scrambling across his goal shortly afterwards with a low
shot from distance.
Arsenal´s rearguard was eventually
breached for a second time by on-loan Chelsea striker Lukaku who notched
his 12th Premier League goal of the season in the 34th minute.
The
Belgium international received a cross-field pass on the right flank
and skipped past Arsenal defenders Monreal and Thomas Vermaelen before
he struck a powerful shot into the corner.
Arsenal briefly
flickered into life before the interval and Lukas Podolski´s shot was
acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by Tim Howard in the Everton
goal.
Wenger´s side began the second period in a
determined fashion but Everton simply matched them and their desire was
reflected in the manner of the third goal shortly after the hour mark.
Mirallas
stole possession off Sagna on the halfway line and headed towards the
Arsenal goal where he found Naismith with an intelligent pass.
Naismith
saw his path to goal blocked by Szczesny, but the ball popped free and
Mirallas, who had continued his run into the penalty area, battled
Arteta - a former Everton player - in the scramble which ultimately saw
the Arsenal midfielder inadvertently push it into his own net.
From
that point there was no way back for Arsenal although a run from Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain, introduced for Podolski in the 66th minute, saw him
rattle the crossbar with a spectacular effort. But it was Everton who
finished the stronger of the two sides with Barkley, Baines and
substitutes Deulofeu and Aiden McGeady all threatening with runs into
the box. (AP)
