Arsenal vs Everton result: Gabriel Jesus gets goal and assist as Gunners shine in 2-0 preseason win

Simon Borg

•
Arsenal vs Everton result: Gabriel Jesus gets goal and assist as Gunners shine in 2-0 preseason win image

The optimism is only growing among Arsenal supporters after their club's positive preseason continued with a 2-0 win over fellow Premier League side Everton in a friendly played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Big summer signing Gabriel Jesus scored a goal and registered an assist in his first start for the Gunners, as Arsenal dominated Everton in the first half, scoring both of its goals before halftime.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford whiffed on a corner kick in the 33rd minute and the ball reached Jesus, who was lurking at the far post and quickly fired the ball into the roof of the net. And then just minutes later, Jesus poked a ball into the box that bypassed the entire Everton back line and found Bukayo Saka for the easy tap-in.

Arsenal looked good in possession, its center back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel was exceptional, and Gabriel Jesus shone once again at center forward. Eddie Nketiah was the bright spot of the team in the second half with more energetic play as the central striker in place of Jesus.

Everton, set up by manager Frank Lampard in a five-man backline, were content to sit behind the ball in the first half, only threatening on the odd counterattack. The Toffees looked better in the second half with the introduction of Alex Iwobi, Anthony Gordon, and Salomon Rondon, but after a bright start the match fizzled out.

Gabriel Jesus is definitely the star forward Arsenal needed

If Arsenal supporters were excited about the two goals in his debut against Nurnberg, the Gabriel Jesus performance against Everton was downright thrilling in its own right. Surrounded by Everton blue shirts all night, Jesus battled and pressed all night and he wasn't afraid to mix it up. But then he was always sharp when it counted in and around the box, as demonstrated by his goal and his pass into the penalty area that found Bukayo Saka.

Jesus has so much quality, and combined with his football instincts, lucid decision-making, and constant movement, it's made for a magical start to his time as a Gunner. That's three goals in two matches and counting.

William Saliba is everything Arsenal fans were hoping for

It's no wonder the early reports are that William Saliba will be staying at Arsenal in 2022/23 after his loan spell at Marseille. The 21 year old was calm, clean and confident as the right center back alongside Gabriel, and between the two of them, nothing and no one got by against Everton.

But on top of their backtracking ability, the two were also strong in their possession and passing. Everton were only a counterattacking threat in the time they were on the field together, but during those minutes Saliba and Gabriel had the vibe of a natural partnership.

Matt Turner starts, plays a different style of goalkeeper

The American newcomer got another start in goal, and from the opening kickoff he was playing the position very differently than say, Aaron Ramsdale. Turner was positioned well outside of his box on the opening whistle and was asked to launch the first attack.

He was consistently aggressive off his line (and outside the area) for the full 90 minutes, and looked fairly comfortable in the role. Everton caught on and attempted to test him from distance in the second half, but Turner was ready for the Salomon Rondon shot. It's a "sweeper 'keeper" style that his competition in the Arsenal squad would likely struggle to replicate.

Everton go defense-first with five-man backline

In his club's first preseason match, Everton manager Frank Lampard lined up his team with five in the back, setting the tone for the match early on. The Toffees were defensively inclined, only launching forward on the occasional counterattack.

The numbers behind the ball probably helped Lampard's men cope with wave after wave of Arsenal attacks, but it also invited plenty of pressure. Under that pressure, Everton weren't clean enough in possession and the giveaways caused issues. There's still time to refine things, but one positive was the play of left wingback Niels Nkounkou, who was a presence on his flank and showed he can also be an attacking threat.

The second unit, which featured the Everton debut of center back James Tarkowski, saw more of the ball, and it helped that they had the likes of Anthony Gordon, Alex Iwobi, and Salomon Rondon, who were able to keep the ball, turn, and carry it upfield. By contrast, the Everton midfield of Doucoure-Davies-Dele was a non-factor in the first half outside of some spirited battling from Abdoulaye Doucoure. Dele Alli had little to show for his 45 minutes, and he'll need to prove himself during what's left of preseason if he expects to be a starter on opening day.

MORE: Arsenal's top performers against Nurnberg

Arsenal vs. Everton final score

  1H 2H Final
Arsenal 2 0 2
Everton 0 0 0

Goals:
ARS — Gabriel Jesus (Cedric Soares) — 33rd min.
ARS — Bukayo Saka (Gabriel Jesus) — 36th min.

Arsenal vs. Everton live updates, highlights from preseason friendly

Final: Arsenal 2, Everton 0

90th min.: Pablo Mari gets a yellow card for a foul on Alex Iwobi that stops a promising attack.

79th min.: Arsenal's Pablo Mari wants a penalty kick called in the box after another good Arsenal set piece. The referee didn't see it the same way. The dead ball was earned by Nketiah, who drew a yellow card for James Tarkowski and has been the Arsenal bright spot of the second half.

76th min.: Elneny's through ball for Eddie Nketiah is cleared by Everton 'keeper Billy Crellin, who beat him to the ball. And a minute later the same play happens again as fans chant "Eddie, Eddie".

70th min.: Another four changes from Arsenal. Neither team is creating much. The buildup play is faltering on both sides of the field.

60th min.: Everton's James Tarkowski applies a sensational sliding block on a Gabriel Martinelli penetrating run and shot in the box.

56th min.: Much better start to this second half by Everton. The Toffees are seeing more of the ball. It's taking this Arsenal group a bit more time to get back into the game. Manager Mikel Arteta is heard on the sideline urging his team to play simple.

46th min.: Second half is underway. Salomon Rondon tries to catch Matt Turner, who is way off his line, but Turner gets back quick enough to swat it away for a corner. Nothing comes of the set piece.

46th min.: Arsenal make seven changes to their starting XI, while Everton bring out an entirely new lineup: Crellin (GK) — Mills, Keane, Tarkowski, Welch, Mykolenko — Gbamin, Warrington, Gordon — Iwobi, Rondon.

Halftime: Arsenal 2, Everton 0

Halftime: Arsenal with a deserved lead after jumping all over Everton from the opening kickoff. All the best qualities of this Arsenal team were on display: strong passing, quality center backs, lively wingers, and spectacular center-forward play via Gabriel Jesus. The Gunners were also pretty effective on set pieces.

As for Everton: Frank Lampard's men looked to be dangerous in transition early on, but they lost energy and sharpness as the half went on. Already with numbers behind the ball, Everton did not help themselves with a few careless giveaways in the back. The Everton midfield is non-existent outside of a couple of Abdoulaye Doucoure defensive interventions.

45th min.: Yellow card for Ben Godfrey after he scythed down Gabriel Jesus. Nothing comes of the set piece 20 yards from goal. Jesus is not happy with that tackle.

36th min.: Another Arsenal goal! Gabriel Jesus turns provider, poking a ball into the box and it gets by the entire Everton back line with Saka waiting at the far right post. It was an easy touch for the winger.

33rd min.: Goal Arsenal! Gabriel Jesus off a corner kick. He's lurking at the far post as Jordan Pickford whiffs on the corner. It falls to Jesus, who wastes no time and roofs it.

32nd min.: Bukayo Saka gets the best of Nkounkou and penetrates, but Jordan Pickford intercepts the low cross. Then Yerry Mina stops Gabriel Martinelli on the end line.

30th min.: After Gabriel and Doucoure get into a shoving match, the pace of the match settles down with Arsenal doing well to keep possession. Everton are looking for counterattacking opportunities with numbers behind the ball.

21st min.: Everton penalty appeal. Dele Alli goes down in the Arsenal box with goalkeeper Matt Turner closing him down. There was nothing in that one. Moments later Nkounkou fires a shot at goal on a counter. But Turner is there to punch it away.

20th min.: Arsenal are bossing this game. You can tell there will be a gap between Everton and Arsenal this season. It's notable that Arsenal 'keeper Matt Turner is playing well off his line when the game allows.

16th min.: Arsenal hit the woodwork! Granit Xhaka heads a corner kick off the right post. The Gunners once again dangerous on a set piece.

15th min.: Moments after Gabriel Jesus goes down in the box on a Nathan Patterson challenge — he went down too easy — Jesus pounces on a poor giveaway by Everton's Mason Holgate. But the forward's quick shot to the far post is expertly stopped by Everton's Jordan Pickford.

10th min.: Everton's Tom Davies clears the ball off his own goal line after an Arsenal corner kick was headed toward the target. We're seeing Niels Nkounkou and Bukayo Saka in a battle and Yerry Mina is trying to get under the skin of Gabriel Jesus.

8th min.: Play is a bit chaotic to start. Gabriel Jesus is surrounded by Everton blue jerseys in attack, but he's moving around and pressing hard. Everton had a dangerous counterattack foiled by an offside flag on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1st min.: Arsenal kick it off and it's a curious one with Matt Turner launching it forward near the center circle. And the Gunners' Saka has a shot blocked inside the box after just 30 seconds. Arsenal already on the front foot.

5 mins from kickoff: We're almost set for kickoff. Teams are out on the field. Martin Odegaard is the Arsenal captain with Jordan Pickford wearing the armband for Everton.

Arsenal vs. Everton lineups

Gabriel Jesus, who scored two goals in his Arsenal debut against Nurnberg, made his first start at center forward flanked by Bukayo Saka and compatriot Gabriel Martinelli. William Saliba started at center back, where he was paired up with Gabriel.

Arsenal starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): 30-Matt Turner (GK) — 17-Cedric Soares, 12-William Saliba, 6-Gabriel, 20-Nuno Tavares — 5-Thomas Partey, 34-Granit Xhaka — 7-Bukayo Saka, 8-Martin Odegaard, 11-Gabriel Martinelli — 9-Gabriel Jesus

Arsenal 46th minute (4-2-3-1 right to left): 30-Matt Turner (GK) — 2-Hector Bellerin, 12-William Saliba, 16-Rob Holding, 6-Gabriel — 15-Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 25-Mohamed Elneny — 19-Nicolas Pepe, 34-Granit Xhaka, 11-Gabriel Martinelli — 14-Eddie Nketiah

Arsenal 70th minute (4-2-3-1, right to left): 30-Matt Turner (GK) — 2-Hector Bellerin, 16-Rob Holding, 22-Pablo Mari, 97-Reuell Walters — 15-Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 25-Mohamed Elneny — 19-Nicolas Pepe, 23-Albert Sambi Lokonga, 24-Reiss Nelson — 14-Eddie Nketiah

Unused players: 32-Aaron Ramsdale (GK), 1-Bernd Leno (GK), 33-Arthur Okonkwo (GK), 13-Alex Runarsson (GK), 35-Lucas Torreira, 26-Folarin Balogun, 27-Marquinhos

Injured / unavailable: 3-Kieran Tierney, 4-Ben White, 18-Takehiro Tomiyasu, 10-Emile Smith Rowe, 21-Fabio Vieira

MORE: Arsenal's preseason schedule, results and lineups

Here's the latest on the other Arsenal players who didn't feature:

Everton manager Frank Lampard played a five-man backline in this first preseason match against Arsenal. Anthony Gordon and new signing James Tarkowski came on in the second half. Allan did not feature.

Everton 1st half (5-3-2, right to left): 1-Jordan Pickford (GK) — 3-Nathan Patterson, 4-Mason Holgate, 13-Yerry Mina, 22-Ben Godfrey, 18-Niels Nkounkou — 16-Abdoulaye Doucoure, 26-Tom Davies, 36-Dele Alli — 11-Demarai Gray, 9-Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Everton 2nd half (5-3-2, right to left): 27-Billy Crellin (GK) — 56-Stanley Mills, 2-James Tarkowski, 5-Michael Keane, 64-Reece Welch, 19-Vitalii Mykolenko — 25-Jean-Philippe Gbamin, 51-Lewis Warrington, 10-Anthony Gordon — 17-Alex Iwobi, 33-Salomon Rondon

Unused players: 63-Zan Luk Leban (GK), 6-Allan, 21-Andre Gomes, 60-Isaac Price, 34-Nathan Broadhead, 61-Lewis Dobbin, 50-Ellis Simms

Injured / unavailable: 15-Asmir Begovic (GK), 23-Seamus Coleman, 14-Andros Townsend

 

MORE: Arsenal's 'All or Nothing' release date on Amazon Prime

How to watch Arsenal vs. Everton: TV channel, live stream

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Sun., July 17 Sat., July 16 Sat., July 16 Sun., July 17
Time 00:00 BST 19:00 ET 19:00 ET 09:00 AEST
TV channel — Stadium — —
Streaming Arsenal.com,
Everton TV		 fuboTV Arsenal.com,
Everton TV		 Arsenal.com,
Everton TV

UK, Canada, Australia: The friendly will be available to stream on Arsenal.com and Everton TV.

USA: The match will be broadcast on Stadium, which is streamed on fuboTV in the USA.

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.