By Samuel Akpan
Arsenal seized the moment with a deserved 2-0 victory over Everton, capitalising on Manchester City’s defeat to Aston Villa in the eighth round of the Premier League.
Intense early pressure at the Emirates paid off in the seventh minute when a corner created chaos in Everton’s box.
Jordan Pickford failed to clear, allowing Ezri Konsa to power home his first goal in an Arsenal shirt.
The strike ended Arsenal’s 13-match wait for a set-piece goal excluding penalties and snapped Everton’s perfect record against corner kicks this season.
James Garner forced a David Raya save, while Vitaliy Mykolenko’s cross nearly caused panic before Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke kept the hosts on top.
Tyler Dibling beat Ben White in the 17th minute but saw his shot turned into a corner.
Moments later Raya spilled an Everton corner, only for Gabriel Magalhaes to clear off the line.
Arsenal finished the half 1-0 up after 13 shots with just two on target, as Everton threatened from defensive slips.
After the break Eze forced a corner and Odegaard tested Pickford from distance.
Ben White then delivered a precise cross for Gabriel to head home at the far post for Arsenal’s second goal.
Gabriel has now scored 21 goals in 200 games for the Gunners —at least three more than any other defender since his September 2020 debut.
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