James Tarkowski's second-half header gave Everton victory at home over Arsenal and moved them out of the Premier League relegation zone in new head coach Sean Dyche's first game in charge.
Centre-back Tarkowski found space among a crowd of players to nod the winner from close range and reward a much-improved performance from the Toffees, who had lost their previous four Premier League home games.
Arsenal arrived with one defeat in this season's top flight but struggled to cope with Everton's pressing for long spells of the game as they slipped to a third defeat in as many visits to Goodison Park.
Bukayo Saka saw his volley from a corner cleared off the line by Conor Coady during the first half and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford also denied substitute Leandro Trossard as Arsenal pushed in vain for an equaliser to strengthen their hopes of sustaining their advantage over second-placed Manchester City.
❌ No win for 105 days
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) February 4, 2023
❌ No January transfer window signings
❌ Fans despise the board
✚3️⃣ points for Sean Dyche on his first game in charge. pic.twitter.com/U1ikaMf4kx
Revitalised-looking Everton deserved their win, almost taking the lead when Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana failed to connect effectively with crosses before Tarkowski found a more decisive response to a delivery from Dwight McNeil, who had been part of Dyche's squad at Burnley alongside the matchwinner.
The result moved Everton up to 17th before the rest of the Premier League action on Saturday, a point clear of Wolves and Bournemouth.
City can close the five-point gap on Arsenal when they visit Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, although the pace-setters will have a game in hand on the reigning champions after that match.
Dyche draws best from Everton
Having been appointed to a crescendo of indifference at the start of the week, Dyche had wisely spoken about the need to drown out what he calls the “outside noise” surrounding Everton.
Dyche defended Everton’s perceived lack of effort to bring in new faces before transfer deadline day on Tuesday, when they sold Anthony Gordon to Newcastle United for £45 ($49.5m), but is a wily enough manager to know that only results can improve the mood around the club.
❌ Mikel Arteta's Arsenal suffer their second league defeat of the season. #ManCity can cut the gap to two points with a win over Spurs tomorrow.
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) February 4, 2023
A reminder, the Gunners still have to play Pep Guardiola's men twice... pic.twitter.com/l9PW69OnNf
The pragmatic 51-year-old even encouraged his players to provide anonymous feedback on their time at the club during his first week on the training ground.
During the opening minutes of this game, a plane was seen overhead the stadium appearing to deride Everton as the worst-run club in the Premier League.
On the pitch, though, they looked transformed in pursuit of their first win since October, troubling Arsenal with their energy from the off.
Calvert-Lewin would have scored had he been an inch further forward to meet an excellent early delivery from Onana, who then turned villain by not appearing to realise how much space he had with a free header in front of goal.
First goal feels! 🤩@Tarky19 🔵 #EVEARS pic.twitter.com/O0zeI4A0M0
— Everton (@Everton) February 4, 2023
Those misses mattered far less when Tarkowski, making his 200th Premier League start, found a slither of space to give his side a warranted advantage.
Everton's first win in 10 games had not been expected to come against opponents who have flown through a multitude of tricky games this season. Their start under Dyche - a man who was second choice to Marcelo Bielsa - bodes highly promisingly for a more stable second half of the season.
The Sporting News followed the match live and provided live score updates and commentary.
MORE: Watch every Premier League match live with fuboTV in Canada
Everton vs. Arsenal live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Everton | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Arsenal | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals:
EVE: Tarkowski (60)
Full-time: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
It's fair to say there are scenes around Goodison Park! Sean Dyche has the desired effect on Everton, producing a shock against the leaders to move Everton out of the relegation zone and leave the fans clearly ecstatic here at Goodison Park.
Thanks for following our live coverage! We'll have a report and analysis at the top of this page shortly.
90+6 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Another large helping of fisticuffs on the touchline, with Aaron Ramsdale racing in to get involved after Oleksandr Zinchenko and Neal Maupay clash near the halfway line.
The always-innocent Maupay ends up lying on the floor on his back and appearing to grin as hostilities take place around him. All rather silly, in the context of a game that hasn't been particularly ill-tempered.
Maupay is eventually booked.
90 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Arsenal have wasted two half-decent opportunities. The home crowd around Goodison Park are waving their fists, grinning and generally looking rather pleased indeed.
86 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Jordan Pickford is booked for timewasting, picking up his fourth caution of the campaign.
Naturally, he shrugs his shoulders and asks the referee what on earth he can mean by suspecting him of stalling for time against the league leaders with a one-goal advantage and about five minutes to go.
85 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta swaps Ben White for Takehiro Tomiyasu, who's clapping and cajoling his teammates even before he's crossed the line.
82 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Aaron Ramsdale bowls the ball out urgently every time he gets it now. That five-point lead over Manchester City is going to look very slender if Arsenal lose this game; they've got City in two games' time.
79 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta shows his annoyance on the touchline after Bukayo Saka lumps a shot over the crossbar from a tight angle inside the penalty area on the right.
78 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Leandro Trossard turns inside the penalty area on the left and crashes in a swerving shot.
It's straight at Jordan Pickard but the venom on the shot means the England goalkeeper has to beat it away with two strong arms. Well played.
75 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Pinball in the Arsenal goalmouth following an Everton corner from their left. Neal Maupay flashes a shot well over the crossbar on the turn.
72 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
James Tarkowski is making his 200th Premier League start today. Four of his eight goals in the top flight have been headers from corners.
First goal feels! 🤩@Tarky19 🔵 #EVEARS pic.twitter.com/O0zeI4A0M0
— Everton (@Everton) February 4, 2023
69 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Amadou Onana receives his sixth booking of the season for a nasty challenge on Ben White by one of the touchlines.
Then Neal Maupay engages in some pushing and shoving with Arsenal players, as he once did for former side Brighton & Hove Albion. It's all getting somewhat tetchy.
65 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
Dyche is back on more animated form now after being temporarily gobsmacked by that goal, perhaps.
He's reeling his players around on an imaginary fishing rod with his arms. If ever you wanted a manager to orchestrate a successful rearguard action, Dyche is the man for the job.
62 mins: Everton 1-0 Arsenal
That goal must have been pretty much the only incident this afternoon that Sean Dyche hasn't reacted to, standing still amid the bedlam around him. Cold as Dyche, you might call him.
He's brought Neal Maupay on for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which is one way to react to going ahead.
60 mins: GOAL – Everton 1-0 Arsenal (James Tarkowski)
Everton have the goal they deserve! The Sean Dyche effect is in full swing as Dwight McNeil swings in a corner from the right - Everton have now had five of the six corners today - and James Tarkowski finds space among an extremely tight crowd to head in from close range!
59 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta makes a couple of changes, new signing Jorginho and Leandro Trossard coming on for Thomas Partey and Gabriel Martinelli.
58 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Martin Odegaard reacts uncharacteristically wastefully to a big chance!
Eddie Nketiah shows quick feet and an abundance of skill to beat two players down the left, enter the penalty area and cut the ball back to his captain in space, who blazes his finish well over the crossbar
50 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Ben White and Dwight McNeil hustle each other inside the Everton penalty area on the hosts' left. White thinks he should have a corner but doesn't get one.
47 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Excellent save by Aaron Ramsdale! Idrissa Gueye tries his luck from the edge of the penalty area and his willingness to shoot is rewarded with a huge deflection that threatens to send the ball beyond the Arsenal goalkeeper, who readjusts and paws the ball away.
Everton are continuing where they left off here.
46 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
We're underway again, and very little of note happens during the first minute or two of the second half, with no changes for either side.
This is a decent - if unexpected - test for Arsenal and those always-talked-about title credentials. Everton won't see it that way; that was a first-half performance to give them belief of victory.
Half-time: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has Everton's last chance of the half, flashing a cross from the right wide of the far post when he had ample time with a header.
There goes the whistle! Sean Dyche said he wanted the crowd behind Everton and his players have done plenty to facilitate that by holding their own against the most feared team in the division right now.
The stats bear that out, too: Everton's eight first-half shots is the most they've had since they took nine against Brentford in August.
42 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Granit Xhaka has a half-chance but nudges an effort wide.
40 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Conor Coady clears off the line! The England defender is there in the nick of time to prevent Bukayo Saka's volley from a cross from putting Arsenal ahead.
This has been some game so far.
38 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Fair to say Sean Dyche has been animated during his first half as an Everton manager. He's entitled to have been, having seen his side spurn at least two fine chances.
Richard Keys would have exploded by now if Arteta had been doing what Dyche has been doing to the fourth official all game.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) February 4, 2023
35 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Make that two terrific chances Everton have had! Abdoulaye Doucoure is unmarked in front of goal from a left-wing Dwight McNeil cross, but he doesn't seem aware of how much time he has, glancing a tame header well wide.
32 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
End-to-end entertainment isn't something you'd readily associate with Everton this season, but they should be ahead here!
Ben White gives the ball away with an over-casual attempt at a pass on the halfway line on his right-hand side.
Amadou Onana bursts the length of Arsenal's half, enters the penalty area and fizzes an excellent low cross towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who dives in at the far post but can't apply the finishing touch.
29 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Bukayo Saka is back on form following that injury earlier, beating Vitaliy Mykolenko on the right and finding Eddie Nketiah, who shifts to find space and should score.
Mikel Arteta and the Arsenal backroom staff end up with their heads in their hands as Nketiah shanks his attempt well wide.
26 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Everton look increasingly confident. Dominic Calvert-Lewin provides Aaron Ramsdale with a straightforward test from a shot, then Amadou Onana sends a cheeky lob awry.
They're not playing like a relegation-threatened team.
23 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Despite dominating possession, Arsenal haven't found this easy so far. There hasn't been a significant attempt by either side, but the Toffees have had three of the five efforts.
It’s fair to say Dyche liked the look of Eddie Howe’s ploy to combat us in wide areas.
— Pain In The Arsenal (@PainInThArsenal) February 4, 2023
4-5-1 mid block, wingers double up on Martinelli/Saka, direct from GK. All about quick transitions.
21 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Promising work by Everton, who force three corners in quick succession. James Tarkowski goes close from one of them after holding off Martin Odegaard, then Dominic Calvert-Lewin steals in at the near post to meet a delivery from the hosts' left with a header that flashes wide of the near post.
Sean Dyche raises his hands to his mouth and barks a few more instructions.
18 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Bukayo Saka is back up after that painful-looking injury courtesy of Idrissa Gueye's hand.
Sean Dyche is chatting to Steve Stone on the touchline, bolt upright and arms folded in his suit.
15 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Ouch. Idrissa Gueye appears to put his hand in Bukayo Saka's face while holding the ball up near the halfway line.
Saka crumples to the ground in pain and needs a prolonged period of attention from the physio. He might be saying that he can't see properly as he receives attention, but that's a lip-reading estimate.
12 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal are approaching 80 percent possession. Thomas Partey takes aim from distance, and Jordan Pickford gathers comfortably in Everton's goal.
9 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Aeroplane alert! An aircraft sails over Goodison Park with a sign declaring Everton the worst-run club in the Premier League.
Transfer deadline day silence pushes people to extreme measures.
7 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
William Saliba - another player who is back in Arsenal's starting lineup today - heads a cross away in Arsenal's first real piece of defending.
5 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal have had more than 70% of possession so far. Intricate passing, quick movement... the hallmarks of their season so far are there. Not that Everton will mind waiting their turn to use the ball.
3 mins: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Arsenal, as you might expect, have the impetus in the opening exchanges. Vitaliy Mykolenko is clearly out to appeal to his new manager's reputation for robustness, enthusiastically fouling the returning Martin Odegaard.
The home fans sound like they enjoyed that much more than the Arsenal captain.
1 min: Everton 0-0 Arsenal
Sean Dyche called for the Goodison Park crowd to unite behind and inspire his players this week, and the roar that goes up as these sides kick off suggests they are ready to heed that call.
How long it will last if Arsenal continue their exceptional form this afternoon is hard to predict...
15 mins to kickoff: Make sure you follow our dedicated football channels on Twitter and Instagram for updates, stats and analysis this afternoon.
The ideal accompaniment to the Premier League and beyond.
❌ Everton are winless in eight #PremierLeague games (D2 L6), their worst run since October 1994.
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) February 4, 2023
They've also lost their last four home league games - their second-longest such streak in club history.
😉 Time for Dyche to turn it around? pic.twitter.com/W9BinBXTI7
30 mins to kickoff: Everton's new man in the dugout arrived like this a little earlier.
Arriving at Goodison!🔵 pic.twitter.com/H9LjoZZZMD
— Everton (@Everton) February 4, 2023
50 mins to kickoff: Here's how Arsenal start!
Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard all return on a teamsheet Sean Dyche may not relish inspecting too closely.
🔴 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 ⚪️
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 4, 2023
🧱 Saliba at the back
🪄 Odegaard in midfield
🖊 Martinelli on the wing
Let’s do this - together! ✊ pic.twitter.com/ATV1rmMVjt
60 mins to kickoff: Team news! Everton have won their last two home league games against Arsenal. They last won three in a row against the Gunners at Goodison Park between March 1977 and August 1978.
Sean Dyche's first XI 📋🔵#EVEARS pic.twitter.com/q37GFGCvtD
— Everton (@Everton) February 4, 2023
80 mins to kickoff: Dyche has only lost more Premier League games against Man City (11) than he has against Arsenal (10).
That said, his recent record against them is much better: he’s drawn three of the last five and lost only once.
100 mins to kickoff: Don’t forget to follow our dedicated football channels on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest football updates, stats and analysis.
They’re your essential companions to the beautiful game.
3️⃣ - Martin Odegaard has scored in each of his last three away #PremierLeague appearances.
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) February 4, 2023
The last Arsenal player to score more consecutively was Olivier Giroud between September and November in 2015.#Gunners #AFC pic.twitter.com/R83FOWRhwI
120 mins to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of Arsenal’s return to Premier League action following their FA Cup exit and Everton’s first match under new head coach Sean Dyche!
The Gunners performed respectably in that fourth-round defeat at title rivals Manchester City and now face opponents who should be a tougher proposition than they were before Dyche was appointed at the start of the week.
Everton are seeking to avoid a fifth consecutive home defeat in the Premier League, having lost 2-1 to Southampton at Goodison Park before their 2-0 defeat at West Ham United in Frank Lampard’s final match in charge.
Everton vs Arsenal confirmed lineups
Dyche has confirmed no changes on the injury front for Everton, and the former Burnley boss did not make sweeping changes as he looks to build a plan for Premier League survival.
Dwight McNeil and Abdoulaye Doucoure started in place of Yerry Mina and Demarai Gray.
Everton starting XI (4-5-1): Pickford (GK) — Coleman, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko – Doucoure, Onana, Gueye, Iwobi, McNeil – Calvert-Lewin
Everton subs: Begovic, Holgate, Gray, Mina, Maupay, Godfrey, Davies, Vinagre, Simms.
Arteta is without Egypt international Mohamed Elneny following the club's decision to send him for knee surgery, with Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson both still out.
Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, William Saliba, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard all returned to the starting lineup.
Arsenal starting XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko – Martinelli, Partey, Xhaka – Saka, Odegaard, Nketiah.
Arsenal subs: Turner, Tierney, Tomiyasu, Holding, Kiwior, Jorginho, Vieira, Trossard, Cozier-Duberry
What time is Everton vs Arsenal kick off?
This Premier League clash will kick off at Goodison Park on Saturday, January 4 at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sat, Feb. 4 | 07:30 ET |
| Canada | Sat, Feb. 4 | 07:30 ET |
| UK | Sat, Feb. 4 | 12:30 GMT |
| Australia | Sat, Feb. 4 | 23:30 AEDT |
| India | Sat, Feb. 4 | 18:00 IST |
| Hong Kong | Sat, Feb. 4 | 20:30 HKT |
| Malaysia | Sat, Feb. 4 | 20:30 MYT |
| Singapore | Sat, Feb. 4 | 20:30 SGT |
| New Zealand | Sun, Feb. 5 | 01:30 NZDT |
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Everton vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch all of the action from this match in some of the major territories:
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | USA Network, Universo | Universo NOW, nbcsports.com, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, , fuboTV |
| Canada | — | fuboTV Canada |
| UK | BT Sport 1 | BT Sport App |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| New Zealand | — | Sky Sport NOW |
| India | Star Sports Select 1, Star Sports Select HD1 | Jio TV, Hotstar VIP |
| Hong Kong | Now Premier League TV (Ch. 620-621) | Now Player |
| Malaysia | Astro Super Sport | Astro GO, Sooka |
| Singapore | — | StarHub TV+ |
UK: The match can be seen on BT Sports' TV and streaming platforms in the UK.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via fuboTV in Canada.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil).
