Everton fought to a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime, further denting the visitors’ already dwindling Premier League title hopes.
Leandro Trossard put Arsenal in front with the first shot on target of the match, giving the Gunners a 1-0 lead after 34 minutes. With a squad hit by injuries and looking ahead to Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, Mikel Arteta made several changes, leaving four key starters on the bench for the trip to Merseyside.
At halftime, Arteta introduced two of his regulars, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, in hopes of increasing Arsenal’s momentum, but it didn’t have the desired effect. Just a minute into the second half, Everton were awarded a penalty when Myles Lewis-Skelly fouled Jack Harrison. Iliman Ndiaye calmly converted the spot kick to equalize.
Everton’s resilient defense prevented Arsenal from regaining the lead, and in doing so, inadvertently pushed Liverpool closer to the Premier League title. The Reds now hold an 11-point lead over Arsenal before their match against Fulham.
