Everton - on the bus. The new Star Boy

Arteta went with the expected XI, naming Eze, Havertz, and Madueke up top, with Saka completing the attack. While it wasn’t exactly a shock, I wasn’t a fan of Saka being deployed on his preferred right side while Madueke was forced to try and make things happen from an uncomfortable left flank.

After that absolute stinker of a performance in Leverkusen, I expected some consequences. In my book, Madueke—who was vital in the Champions League result—should have started in his best position, leaving Saka to earn his way back into the side from the left. I hate it when players become “untouchable” regardless of form. It kills squad morale and completely contradicts the “fogging standards” the team is supposed to live by.

To be fair, Saka didn’t look half bad in the first half. Like the rest of the lads, we were sharp, aggressive, and popping up all over the shop. My main gripe over the winter was how slow and predictable we’d become; yesterday was anything but. A team chasing the top prizes has to be willing to take a gamble, and boy, did we take some risks.

Everton had a golden chance to take the lead as early as the 16th minute. The ball fell to McNeil—who was completely unmarked in the box after a poor interception from David Raya—but his shot was thwarted by another great keeper’s reaction save. It was only on the replay that I realized Riccardo Calafiori had pulled off a bit of acrobatics to keep us level. Talk about commitment.

When you see the level of desire our defenders take, the lengths they go to to block the ball, you can understand that Arsenal is the only club in the country right now that really deserves to win the league. Only here you can find players ready to use every little single margin that helps them get to their final goal.

After a block like that, any pundit calling us “undeserving champions” is just a petty prick who can’t handle his bias. The football gods aren’t petty, though; they recognized that desire when McNeil (him again!) curled a worldie toward the top corner only for it to rattle the woodwork and bounce off a teammate who couldn’t react in time. I’d like to think Ricky’s heel played a part in that deflection too.

David Raya pulled off another cracking stop during one of the Toffees’ raids, but it wasn’t just one-way traffic. We were carving out plenty of chances ourselves, though most of our efforts were either charged down by their backline or whistled just past the woodwork. It was a proper good watch, though. The midfield trio were absolutely everywhere. They were rotating, covering for one another, and giving their markers a right headache trying to track them. Just have a look at their pass maps to see what I mean:

Eze, Rice, Zubi pass maps - Opta Analyst

And it wasn’t just them. Calafiori, who came in for Hincapie to offer a bit more presence in the final third, didn’t disappoint either. He was basically acting as a fourth midfielder, popping up all over the shop in the middle of the park.

Calafiori pass map - Opta

On the other side, Timber limped off in the first half, and it was Christian Mosquera who got the nod to replace him, even with Ben White out there warming up. Given we needed some creativity and knowing how well White links up with Saka on the right, it seemed a bit of a no-brainer to bring him on. Arteta opting for the young lad instead doesn’t bode well for White’s future. You have to wonder if there’s a bit of needle between him and the gaffer, because when the main right-back from 23/24 title charge (best to date) can’t even get a look-in when Timber goes down, something’s not right.

True to form, Havertz was drifting across the front line. He made a darting run into the box, found by Eze, only for Keane to bundle him over. At first glance, it looked like a bit of a shoulder barge, and even though it clearly knocked Kai off balance, I knew an English ref was never going to give that. They’re always looking for a blatant shove in the back or a leg trip. Little did I know, the replays would show there was actual contact on the leg.

I can almost forgive the ref on the pitch, but VAR once again proved to be either useless or biased against the Arsenal. If that penalty gets given, it’s a completely different ball game, and we might have missed out on those unforgettable moments in the end of the game—the Butterfly Effect in full swing, isn’t it?

The second half was more of the same—Raya made a brilliant save with his feet from point-blank range, mostly thanks to his top-tier positioning—but Arsenal were well on top. I’d even go as far as to say it was one of our best displays against a side sitting deep with a low block. Only the games against Leeds and Sunderland (home) were better. Still, the deadlock remained unbroken at 0-0.

Arteta finally blinked and went to the bench—Havertz made way for Gyokeres (likely just managing his minutes) and Martinelli replaced Madueke. That one was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, because Saka had reverted to his “frustrating” self in the second half. Every time he got it on the right, he just kept cutting back inside trying to buy a yard for a shot, and the defenders were wise to it every single time.

The moment Saka starts obsessing over getting on the scoresheet, his overall game goes right out the window. Meanwhile, Madueke had popped up on the right wing a few times and was asking real questions of the full-back, even winning a corner. Yet, he was the one hooked for Gabi, not the skipper. It reeks of certain players being “untouchable” rather than playing on merit.

Saka’s worst games always seem to happen when he’s wearing the armband. If the captaincy is weighing him down and clouding his judgment, then Arteta needs to hand it to someone else while Odegaard is out. We’ve got a leadership group for a reason—Gabriel or Rice would be a simple fix.

Without Havertz and Madueke, we lost our grip on the final third and looked toothless. We went from a fluid 4-3-3 to more of a 4-3-2-1. Gyokeres was playing on his own island, not really involved in the buildup but just trying to pin the centre-halves. And Martinelli isn’t usually as linked in with the play as Madueke was on the day. Instead of two players contributing to the buildup, we essentially had half a player in Gabi.

After the subs, the keys to the engine room were handed over to Eberechi Eze. He was dropping deep to bypass the first line of the Everton press, looking for runners with through balls, and lurking on the edge of the box for a pop at goal. And, boy, did he come agonizingly close when Rice found him with a cheeky flick.

But as lively as Eze looked, it felt a bit optimistic to think just him and Rice would find a way through (especially with our captain in “Do Not Disturb Everton” mode). I had a quick squint at the bench and the only name that gave me any hope was Max Dowman. Arteta was clearly on the same page, throwing him and Hincapie on for Zubimendi and Calafiori. It was a massive gamble by Arteta’s usual standards—leaving the midfield scrap to Rice, Eze, and now Saka. It was also his final throw of the dice, meaning he had no more subs left to change things in the dying embers of the game.

I advocated for Max as a strong creativity option for several posts already, since he got back to fitness, just as I did for Ethan last year. There were many voices saying he’s only sixteen and it’s naive to rely on him. There’s no such thing as too young - if the skill is there, if the ability to get away from physical roughness is there, if they don’t crumble under the sound of a full stadium, then there’s no need to look in the passport.

Moreover, youngsters like Dowman or Nwaneri get a bit of a free hit when the team is chasing a goal. If it doesn’t come off, nobody’s going to get on their back. But if they do produce a bit of magic, it’s a life-changing moment that can put their career into orbit.

From the off, Dowman was a breath of fresh air—gliding past players and picking the right pass every time. To be honest, Saka looked like a schoolboy compared to him on that flank. There’s a new Star Boy in town, and it isn’t Bukayo. Saka can become our Star Man, but he needs to find his form again before he can claim that. The “Boy” tag, however, now belongs to the sixteen-year-old.

His first real opening was a snap-shot from the edge of the box that he skied well over the bar. You could see the frustration on his face; he knew he should have done better. The clock was ticking, and we were still desperate for a breakthrough. I was just thinking how gutting it would be to see such an entertaining performance end in a stalemate. It would only convince Arteta to be even more cautious and safety-first in the future.

But fortune favours the bold, doesn’t it? With five minutes left, Dowman whipped in a peach of a cross from the right. Pickford came for it, got it wrong, and missed it completely. Piero Hincapie wasn’t giving it up as a lost cause, though—he kept it alive with all the tools at his disposal. And there, right in the mixer, was Gyokeres. That’s the beauty of the 4-3-2-1—you’ve got a man in the box always ready for the tap-in, and the Swede didn’t disappoint.

I wasn’t a fan of his “all about me” celebration. It wasn’t just down to him; it was about the shift everyone put in, and I’ve always respected scorers who acknowledge their teammates when the credit is due. Hincapie was a prime example. He absolutely transformed that left flank when they came on with Dowman. He was whipping crosses in first-time, bombing up and down, and was hell-bent on making something happen from Max’s cross.

Hincapie and Calafiori are different types of players, but they’re both quality and clearly play for the badge. Having a defender you can unleash for the final push who won’t give an inch is a proper luxury. No wonder he was the one eating the gap to clear the danger in stoppage time, hoofing the ball out for a throw-in.

That throw-in led to one last corner after a bit of a shaky clearance from Gabriel, and even Pickford was up for it, trying to pull a Trubin there. I was bricking it, given our recent record of conceding from set-pieces. But Gyokeres rose highest to thump it clear, and Martinelli poked it further away. Then it was over to Max. He showed more composure than most of his senior teammates—despite not being the quickest, he used his touch to send two defenders sliding into next week. There was nothing between him and the empty Everton net.

Max went for it, with his teammates trying to keep up. Martinelli did a proper job watching over Dowman and blocking off Mykolenko to block his last attempt to save Everton.

No matter what you think of Martinelli’s form, you can’t fault his character—he’s never selfish and you can see he lives and breathes this club and cares a lot about his teammates. From a purely tactical standpoint, it might be time to move him on, and it might even be better for his own career, but he’s exactly the kind of person you want representing Arsenal.

Tonight belonged to Max, though. He was the catalyst for most of the things in the final twenty minutes, but he just needed that goal to really put his stamp on the game. While it was a simple enough finish, it was the perfect end to a dream cameo. He’s now officially the youngest scorer in Premier League history.

He’s made his mark on the league, and he’s still humble enough that he hasn’t got some flashy celebration or that cold-blooded look in his eyes just yet. I reckon his ceiling is scary high, but I’m more than happy with what we’re seeing right now.

The evening couldn’t have gotten any better, but then it did. City clearly couldn’t handle our late winner and ended up dropping points at West Ham (just as we fluffed our lines after their turnaround at Anfield). We’re now 9 points clear, and even with City having a game in hand, I think the race is over. If we didn’t buckle after those draws against Brentford and Wolves, we’re not going to crumble now, especially with most of our remaining games at the Emirates where the fans can pull the team through if we’re flagging.

We’ve got Leverkusen at home on Tuesday, and if we play like we did today, there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll be two up by the break playing like that. I want to see Madueke back in the starting XI—he’s earned it. Havertz and Dowman can come on if needed, as we’ll want them fresh for Sunday when we have the unique chance to put a final nail into the City coffin!