Everton 0-1 Arsenal: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Everton 0-1 Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, 20 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Arsenal edged out Everton with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park. The game stayed tight early on, but things heated up around the 24th minute when VAR checked an incident involving Declan Rice, leading to a penalty for Arsenal just three minutes later. Viktor Gyökeres stepped up and slotted it home in the 27th minute, giving the Gunners the lead they’d hold onto, despite Everton picking up yellow cards for Vitaliy Mykolenko at 26’ and James Tarkowski at 39’ as tensions rose.

Arsenal controlled much of the second half, with Gyökeres earning a yellow in the 56th before being subbed off for Gabriel Jesus at 65’, while Everton made changes like Beto replacing Thierno Barry at 66’ to chase an equaliser. The Toffees brought on Tyler Dibling for Dwight McNeil at 75’ and Merlin Röhl for Carlos Alcaraz at 76’, but Arsenal’s defence stood firm, even after late subs like Gabriel Martinelli for Leandro Trossard at 80’ and Mikel Merino for Martin Ødegaard at 88’, with Martinelli picking up a yellow at 89’. Coming off a mixed run with losses to Chelsea and Newcastle but wins over Forest and Bournemouth, Everton will rue not capitalising at home, while Arsenal’s win builds on their strong form including victories over Wolves and Brentford to keep them pushing at the top.

Arsenal bossed possession with 65% of the ball compared to Everton’s 35%, showing how the Gunners dictated the tempo and kept the hosts on the back foot for long spells. They also edged successful dribbles at 39 to 29, highlighting their flair in breaking lines, while corners were close at 3-2 in Arsenal’s favour, pointing to more attacking threat without runaway dominance.

Both sides picked up two yellow cards each, reflecting a feisty encounter, and Arsenal converted their one penalty chance which proved decisive, with no injury-time goals to change the story. Substitutions were even at three apiece, with Everton freshening up late like Beto coming on for Thierno Barry at 66’, Tyler Dibling replacing Dwight McNeil at 75’, and Merlin Röhl for Carlos Alcaraz at 76’, while Arsenal rotated with Gabriel Jesus for Viktor Gyökeres at 65’, Gabriel Martinelli for Leandro Trossard at 80’, and Mikel Merino for Martin Ødegaard at 88’ to see out the win.

The match’s turning point came early in the first half when VAR reviewed an incident with Declan Rice at 24’, awarding Arsenal a penalty that Viktor Gyökeres converted at 27’ for the only goal of the game. Everton’s discipline slipped with yellow cards for Vitaliy Mykolenko at 26’ and James Tarkowski at 39’, adding pressure as they tried to respond.

In the second half, Gyökeres picked up a yellow at 56’ before Arsenal made key changes, like Gabriel Jesus replacing him at 65’ to maintain their edge. Everton pushed with subs such as Beto for Thierno Barry at 66’, but late yellow for Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli at 89’ after he came on for Leandro Trossard at 80’ underlined the tension, though it didn’t alter the result.

Everton lined up in a solid 4-2-3-1 shape, focusing on defensive partnerships like James Tarkowski at the back to hold firm, while players such as Dwight McNeil and Carlos Alcaraz provided width and creativity in attack before their late substitutions.

Arsenal set out in an attacking 4-3-3 formation, with standout roles for players like Martin Ødegaard in midfield pulling strings before his late exit, and Viktor Gyökeres leading the line effectively up front until his substitution.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Viktor Gyökeres, who made the difference with his cool penalty finish for Arsenal’s only goal, alongside one key pass that helped unlock Everton’s defence, even if he didn’t rack up assists or big chances created.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 0-1 vs Arsenal (H)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Chelsea (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Nottingham Forest (H)
• Win: 1-0 vs AFC Bournemouth (A)
• Loss: 1-4 vs Newcastle United (H)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 1-0 vs Everton (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Aston Villa (A)
• Win: 2-0 vs Brentford (H)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Chelsea (A)

Everton have just fallen to a 0-1 defeat against Arsenal at home, leaving them in 10th place on 24 points after a patchy run with back-to-back losses but earlier wins over Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. They’ll look to bounce back in their next fixture against Burnley on 2025-12-27 at 15:00, where taking points off the strugglers in 19th on just 11 points could help solidify their mid-table spot and keep any relegation worries at bay.

Arsenal have just secured a 1-0 win over Everton away from home, keeping them top of the table in 1st on 39 points following a solid streak with wins against Wolves and Brentford, despite a recent loss to Aston Villa. Their next challenge is against Crystal Palace on 2025-12-23 at 20:00, and beating the side in 8th on 26 points would help maintain their title push against strong mid-table competition.

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