Arsenal vs Everton score, result as Saka and Martinelli lead Gunners to five-point lead in Premier League title race

Kyle Bonn

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Arsenal vs Everton score, result as Saka and Martinelli lead Gunners to five-point lead in Premier League title race image

Arsenal came into the Emirates Stadium for their midweek Premier League match against Everton with one thing on their mind: revenge.

They achieved just that, pouring on the attack in a 4-0 victory that saw them cash in their game in hand atop the Premier League table to go five points clear of Manchester City in the title race.

Everton looked like a typical Sean Dyche side for the first 40 minutes, bunkered in and able to stifle the Arsenal attack. Then Bukayo Saka produced a moment of brilliance to breach the deadlock, and the floodgates opened for the hosts.

Saka’s opener was followed quickly by a second before halftime through Gabriel Martinelli, who capitalised on a glaring Idrissa Gueye error to double the lead moments before the break. They added two more in the second half as Martin Odegaard got one and Martinelli added a second, and it could have been more if not for a few quality Jordan Pickford saves. Aaron Ramsdale had two big moments of his own to preserve the clean sheet, but ultimately on the whole Everton were well beaten.

The performance was a resounding one from Arsenal, who hit back at relegation-threatened Everton for the 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park a month ago that allowed the Man City threat to draw ever nearer in the Premier League title race. Now with a five-point cushion and a sumptuous performance in their pocket, Arsenal welcome another drop threat in Bournemouth to the Emirates on the weekend.

The Sporting News followed the Arsenal vs. Everton match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.

MORE: Arsenal's odds to win the Premier League title with 14 matches remaining

Arsenal vs Everton final score

  1H 2H Score
Arsenal 2 2 4
Everton 0 0 0

Goals:
40th min — ARS — Bukayo Saka
45+1 min — ARS — Gabriel Martinelli
71st min — ARS — Martin Odegaard
81st min — ARS — Gabriel Martinelli

Confirmed lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Ramsdale (GK) — 4. White, 12. Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Zinchenko – 8. Odegaard, 20. Jorginho (Partey, 46'), 34. Xhaka (Viera, 72') — 7. Saka (Smith Rowe, 82'), 19. Trossard (Nketiah, 72'), 11. Martinelli.

Everton (4-5-1, right to left): 1. Pickford (GK) — 23. Coleman (Godfrey, 61'), 5. Keane, 2. Tarkowski, 19. Mykolenko — 17. Iwobi, 16. Doucoure (Davies, 79'), 27. Gueye (Holgate, 46'), 8. Onana, 7. McNeil — 20. Maupay (Gray, 61').

Arsenal vs Everton live updates, highlights, commentary

FULLTIME: Arsenal 4-0 Everton

The final whistle goes moments after Ramsdale's save and Arsenal are now five points clear of Man City in the Premier League title race. The first 40 minutes were a snoozer, but the Gunners figured out how to unlock the Sean Dyche defence and from there ran away with the result. Great performances from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who are both up for Premier League Player of the Year.

Arsenal vs Everton: Second Half

90+2 min: Chance, Everton! Ramsdale comes up big again, this time just to preserve the clean sheet, making a one-hand stretched save to stop a tight-angle shot from Demarai Gray that was surely headed for the inside of the far post.

90th min: The two minutes of added time shown are a mere formality as the Arsenal fans chant "you're going down" at the hapless Everton squad. Both sides are just looking to see this one out.

81st min: GOAL! ARSENAL! The fourth has been coming as Everton are well beaten now, and the Gunners are loving the life of revenge. Gabriel Martinelli gets his second of the match as Oleksandar Zinchenko threads in Eddie Nketiah vertically, and he finds Martinelli at the near post for an off-balance finish from point-blank range.

Bukayo Saka is withdrawn in the aftermath, replaced by Emile Smith Rowe who makes his return from a long-term injury.

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78th min: Chance, Arsenal! The entirety of the last 15 minutes have been played in the Everton third, and Arsenal seem to now be trying to walk the ball into the net. Jordan Pickford makes a sensational save as Thomas Partey loops the ball over the entire Everton back line to Eddie Nketiah, but Pickford comes off his line to close him down.

Tom Davies comes on for Everton in place of Abdoulaye Doucoure for 12 minutes of game action with the result already gone.

74th min: Chance, Arsenal! The Gunners are firing on all cylinders now. Martin Odegaard, finishing the previous chance for Arsenal's third, now turns creator as he cuts an exceptional pass to Gabriel Martinelli, but his horizontal cross is defended at the last possible moment by either Jordan Pickford or a defender before it can reach a sliding Ben White in front of goal.

71st min: GOAL! ARSENAL! Everton are breached again, and Arsenal will be taking all three points from their game in hand on Man City! Leandro Trossard has drifted out wide left a few times over the past couple of minutes, and here he picks out Martin Odegaard from eight yards out in a central location. All the Norwegian has to do is redirect it on goal, and James Tarkowski can't get the block, instead simply deflecting it into the roof of the net.

Trossard's assist is his last game action, as he's replaced by Eddie Nketiah. Granit Xhaka is also withdrawn, with Fabio Viera coming on.

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65th min: Chance, Arsenal! Goodness, Gabriel Martinelli should do better with that cross from Bukayo Saka, gifted a wonderful headed opportunity right on the Everton goal mouth, but he completely whiffs and the ball skitters harmlessly away.

Ben Godfrey is booked for taking down Leandro Trossard with a very naughty stamp up on the shin, given the game's first caution. On another day, if he catches Trossard a little cleaner, that could be a red card.

62nd min: Chance, Everton! It's the first action for Aaron Ramsdale in this match, and he's up to the challenge with a great save! Dwight McNeil charges forward unchallenged to the top of the penalty area and has the entire net to shoot at, but his low effort is parried well by the Arsenal goalkeeper.

61st min: Couple of changes for Everton, as Demarai Gray comes on for Neil Maupay up front, who struggled in his hour of action. Ben Godfrey also enters to replace Seamus Coleman.

57th min: Chance, Arsenal! Ben White delivers an exceptional ball from the right, floated right to the feet of Leandro Trossard at the far post, but the former Brighton man doesn't get the finish right at all, hacking at it on the volley but badly missing, and driving the ball down off the turf and up over the crossbar.

54th min: It's a foul fest from Everton right now, as Mason Holgate, who's looking to be in a defensive midfield position rather than as a third central defender, chops Granit Xhaka. Neil Maupay rips a speculative effort towards the Arsenal goal but it's out of control and sails wildly high. It's all a bit elementary for Arsenal right now with the two goal lead, and the Emirates crowd delights in every visitor mistake.

49th min: Bukayo Saka and Vitaliy Mykolenko both go tumbling over the touchline, and the referee whistles for a foul on the Ukrainian as he does a poor job disguising his rugby tackle on the Arsenal winger. Saka is protesting for an accumulation booking, but Michael Oliver does not oblige.

Kickoff: Sean Dyche is staring at a gulf on the scoreline, down two goals and with very little attacking impetus in the first half. Both sides are making one halftime change, with Mason Holgate entering for Everton to replace Idrissa Gueye, while Thomas Partey comes in for Arsenal as he returns from injury.

The question for Everton is where does Holgate slot in? He could be inserted as a third centre-back to try and add width in both directions. Arsenal attacked the Everton defence primarily out wide as Leandro Trossard often drifted out of central areas due to the congestion.

HALFTIME: Arsenal 2-0 Everton

It seemed that Dyche-ball would win the first 45 minutes, as Arsenal had absolutely nothing up front as they knocked the ball around in the attacking third to little effect.

Five minutes later, and one Bukayo Saka moment of brilliance plus one horrid Idrissa Gueye error has Arsenal 2-0 up at the break. Mikel Arteta will feel much better about where Arsenal stand now going into the dressing room, knowing Everton have to come out of their shell where they're most comfortable.

Arsenal vs Everton: First Half

45+1 min: GOAL! ARSENAL! Gabriel Martinelli has the ball in the back of the net, but the flag is up! It's extremely unlucky for Arsenal and Bukayo Saka, who caught Idrissa Gueye napping. Gueye had won the ball back in his own third, but then just...went to sleep, and Saka won the ball off him. He barely gets a touch to the ball to poke it to Gabriel Martinelli, but the Brazilian is offside by a hair.

BUT NO! On a VAR check, the goal is given! What an embarrassing moment for Gueye, who had all day to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper, and just...didn't. Instead, he just stood there on the ball, like his controller batteries had died.

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40th min: GOAL! ARSENAL! Bukayo Saka has drawn a double-team all game, and it doesn't matter, because he opens the scoring anyways. For all the defensive structure for Everton, all it took was one Oleksandr Zinchenko vertical through-ball to carve the Toffees' back line apart. Saka picks up the ball with a great turn to leave Vitaliy Mykolenko in his dust, and the England international roofs it from a tight angle on the right, making no mistake. A cracking finish.

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37th min: Arsenal seem like they've decided to let Everton possess the ball a bit to help bring the Toffees out of their shell and try to hit on the counter. It's not a bad idea, as the half-court attack was sputtering. Everton now the ones knocking it about with very little going forward.

32nd min: Andre Onana goes down AGAIN dramatically holding his face, as he got brushed by the arm of Gabriel, but there's really nothing in that. The fans are starting to get on Onana's case, and he reacts angrily to someone on the pitch suggesting he's exaggerating.

29th min: This has become an absolute snooze-fest, which is exactly what Sean Dyche wants. Arsenal just knocking the ball around to nothing, and the home crowd getting restless.

Everton break, and Gabriel has to make a pinpoint tackle on Neil Maupay to prevent a shot. It's a very good challenge from the Brazilian.

23rd min: Andre Onana is again down holding his face, this time taking an elbow from Jorginho. Arsenal players and fans are up in arms about Everton's treatment of the match flow. There's a heated discussion between Neil Maupay of Everton and both Gabriel and Granit Xhaka of Arsenal.

20th min: Arsenal continue to poke and prod, but it will be key to pick their spots against this bunkered-in Everton side. They just don't quite look sharp in the opening period of this match. Gabriel Martinelli on the counter has a good chance to create some goal-mouth action, but he's marshaled out of play by Alex Iwobi before he can get a cross off.

Meanwhile, Everton are lumping the ball into the penalty area whenever they get possession. The Toffees look like a proper Sean Dyche side.

16th min: Bukayo Saka flagged for offside as he splits two Everton defenders on a give-and-go with Martin Odegaard at the edge of the penalty area. It's unlucky, as Saka was through on a tight angle. Everton are shading a second defender to help Vitaliy Mykolenko wherever Saka goes, hoping to nullify his influence on the match.

12th min: Arsenal are holding much more of the ball now, cycling it around in the attacking half of the pitch. Everton's press has backed off, and now they're playing the structured defensive chase we've seen from Sean Dyche teams in the past. It'll be tough for Arsenal to find a way through here.

8th min: Well, Everton have found themselves in some promising positions early on but can't capitalize. Neil Maupay is the man up front and he first lets fly to force a save from Aaron Ramsdale a few minutes prior, and now he gets a touch on the goal mouth but his back-heel is collected by the goalkeeper easily. He should do better with those moments!

6th min: The referee has warned Everton already for time wasting on their throw-ins and goal kicks. Not a great look inside the opening 10 minutes!

4th min: Arsenal are having trouble getting out of their own half of the pitch under pressure from a high Everton press, but eventually they find Bukayo Saka on the outlet and advance forward to earn a corner. They deliver it short and eventually to Jorginho atop the penalty area, and his effort on goal is just a whisker high and wide, aiming for the top-left corner of the frame.

1st min: Straight from kickoff, just seconds into the match, Andre Onana is down needing treatment after taking a flailing arm of Gabriel to the face during an aerial duel. He's back up and the match resumes.

Kickoff: The match at The Emirates is under way! There is a ton riding on this match, as the Premier League title race and relegation battle could both be shaped by these 90 minutes.

Arsenal vs Everton: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

15 mins to kick: There are two trends in direct opposition today. First, Arsenal have won just one of their last five matches against Everton, a weird poor streak for Mikel Arteta against his former club. Second, Everton are winless in their last seven road matches, with just a single goal scored in that span. Who will buck the trend today?

38 mins to kick: It's a big call by Sean Dyche starting Michael Keane over Conor Coady today in central defence. Coady has been a mainstay this season and was part of the exceptional defensive performance against Arsenal at Goodison Park a month ago, but has had missteps at times of late. Sean Dyche said he's trying to find places to rest players over the next few weeks given the fixture congestion. Keane last started a Premier League match in the final game of last season, a 5-1 defeat at this very stadium against this very opponent.

55 mins to kick: Lineups are in, and there aren't too many surprises for either side. Mikel Arteta sticks with Leandro Trossard at striker as Eddie Nketiah is in poor form and carrying a knock, while Ben White starts at right-back. For Sean Dyche and Everton, Conor Coady is benched in favor of Michael Keane's first Premier League start of the season, while Neil Maupay continues up front, preferred over Demarai Gray.

88 mins to kick: One fascinating matchup wrinkle to watch in this match is the battle in the air. Arsenal are not a team that has excelled in the air this season, winning just 44 percent of their aerial duels this year, the lowest percentage in the Premier League.

It's not exactly something Everton are exceptional at, as their 46 percent rate is third-worst in the league, but the Toffees do have a high volume, contesting 679 of them, which is seventh in the English top flight. Still, the last time these two teams played, Everton won 17 of the 29 duels for a 57 percent win rate, and scored the only goal of the match on a set-piece header by James Tarkowski.

107 mis to kick: One of the more interesting lineup debates for Arsenal today is whether manager Mikel Arteta should continue with Eddie Nketiah at striker, or select Leandro Trossard for his second start of the season at the position. Nketiah has dipped in form of late, and is reportedly carrying a knock, which could see Trossard get another start as he did against Leicester City over the weekend.

Gabriel Jesus is reportedly supposed to be back from his long-term knee injury before the upcoming international break, but there are still a few more weeks to navigate before their big summer signing is contributing again.

120 mins to kick: Arsenal can become the first English club to register 100 top-flight league victories against a single opponent, sitting on 99 league wins against Everton. Their head-to-head history dates back to 1905 when Everton won the first league meeting between the two sides by a 1-0 score, but Woolwich Arsenal won the next matchup just a few weeks later 2-1.

Arsenal vs Everton lineups, team news

The Gunners are in great form, and it's largely due to their overall health and lineup consistency. Gabriel Jesus remains out, but he is eyeing a return in the coming weeks as he soon finds out when he'll start training with the team.

Thomas Partey returned to action with a substitute appearance over the weekend, but has yet to reclaim his place in midfield from Jorginho, who has done well in the former's absence. Mohamed Elneny is the only long-term absentee after knee surgery.

The biggest lineup call for Mikel Arteta was whether to select Ben White or Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back, and it's the England international who remains in the mix. Arteta has also stuck with Leandro Trossard at striker as Eddie Nketiah struggles with form and fitness, reportedly carrying a knock through training.

Arsenal confirmed starting lineup (4-3-3): Aaron Ramsdale (GK) — Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko – Martin Odegaard, Jorginho, Granit Xhaka — Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal subs (9): Turner (GK), Tomiyasu, Holding, Tierney, Kiwior, Partey, Vieira, Smith Rowe, Nketiah.

Sean Dyche makes two notable selections in the lineup, as Michael Keane comes in for Connor Coady, while Neil Maupay remains up front, favored over Demarai Gray. Everton's only notable pre-match injury absence was Andros Townsend, who continues to work his way back from an ACL injury and could be ready to return in early April.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin also misses out, as it was just a little early for his return from a hamstring injury. Nathan Patterson has a knock is also held out, while James Garner is just not quite yet back.

Everton confirmed starting lineup (4-5-1): Jordan Pickford — Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, James Tarkowski, Vitaliy Mykolenko — Alex Iwobi, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, Andre Onana, Jeff McNeil — Neil Maupay.

Everton subs (9): Begovic (GK), Holgate, Mina, Godfrey, Coady, Vinagre, Davies, Simms, Gray.

How to watch Arsenal vs Everton

MORE: Why is Arsenal vs Everton not on TV in the UK?

  TV channel Streaming
USA USA Network, Universo fuboTV, Peacock, Universo NOW, NBC Sports
Canada — fuboTV Canada
UK — —
Australia — Optus Sport
New Zealand — Sky Sports NOW
India — Hotstar VIP, JioTV
Hong Kong — Now E
Malaysia Astro SuperSport 3 Astro Go, sooka
Singapore — StarHub TV+

Arsenal vs Everton betting odds

Despite the result in the reverse fixture just weeks ago, the betting market is fully behind Arsenal as they chase a Premier League title, and they are 1/3 favourites in some places. Everton, meanwhile, are upwards of 8/1 underdogs on the moneyline.

In fact, the game flow odds indicate the betting market has questions about Everton being able to score. While the over 2.5 total goals is a slight favourite, both teams not to score is heavily weighted, meaning the betting market thinks Arsenal have a chance at hitting the total all on their own.

MORE: Arsenal vs Everton predictions & betting preview for Premier League midweek match

  BetMGM
(USA)		 Sports
Interaction
(Canada)		 SkyBet
(UK)		 Neds
(Australia)
Arsenal win -300 -315 3/10 1.33
Draw +400 +391 4/1 4.75
Everton win +825 +737 19/2 9.75
Both teams
to score Y / N		 +115 / -165 +105 / -167 6/5, 8/13 2.20 / 1.62
Over / Under
2.5 goals		 -130 / -110 -132 / -101 8/11, 1/1 1.80 / 2.00
Arsenal -1.5 -110 +101 — —
Everton +1.5 -135 -128 — —

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.