5 Things We Learned From Arsenal's 2-0 Win Over Everton

Arsenal ran out 2-0 successors against Everton last night, and looking back on the game, some key points arose.

1 - William Saliba is here to compete

The 21-year-old has had a tumultuous start to his Gunners career since joining in 2019, however, the time away from the harsh Emirates spotlight has done him good.

Returning to Arsenal as Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year, Saliba’s performance exhibited a maturity beyond his years, as he received and played the ball authoritatively whenever it was at his feet.

In a game where the Gunners dominated possession, Saliba proved he is capable of displacing Ben White in the starting XI, with the England international’s ball playing prowess not missed thanks to the precision of the Arsenal no.12.

Having three central defenders all of top quality will bode well for the coming season, as an injury to either Gabriel or White would no longer be catastrophic to Arteta’s ideal build-up play.

2 - Gabriel Jesus transforms Arteta’s attack

Now this isn’t revolutionary knowledge by any stretch of the imagination, but in the Brazilian’s 45 minutes against Everton, he displayed everything the Gunners have sorely missed. 

Off the ball, the 25-year-old is a live-wire, but a tactically-informed one, positioning himself perfectly to engage in a high press.

The contrast from the Lacazette ‘pressure’ and the intensity of Jesus’ press is stark, with the Brazilian’s acumen for pressing allowing Arsenal to sustain pressure in the offensive third.

That isn’t to mention the no.9’s link-play, capable of receiving on the half-turn between the lines, as he did when he drove into the Everton box to lay the ball on a plate for Bukayo Saka’s goal.

All of this would be in vain were it not for the former Palmeiras’ man killer instinct. Trapping the ball dead out of the sky from Cedric’s corner, Jesus fired home the Arsenal opener with a composure and authority that was sorely lacking from Arteta’s attack last season.

If this is a taste of what’s to come, the Emirates faithful will be salivating at their chances next season.

3 - Cover for Tomiyasu and Tierney is sorely needed

Arteta came out after the game and confirmed the absence of Tomiyasu and Tierney was due to injuries. 

Arsenal’s season was derailed by the injuries to the two fullbacks, and the club simply cannot afford another season with Cedric and Tavares as their understudies.

The good news is that a deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko appears close to completion, which provides apt cover for Tierney, as well as reinforcing the options at Arteta’s disposal in midfield.

However, as for Tomiyasu, the club may well have to get creative, with a few options at their disposal.

Do the club entrust Brooke Norton-Cuffy as Tomiyasu’s understudy next season, or do White and Saliba rotate as that inverted full-back on the right, a role both are capable of performing?

4 - Nicolas Pepe would thrive in the right system… but that system isn’t at Arsenal

There is clearly a player in there, a talent waiting to be utilised but faltering under the demands of the current system.

You’ll be hard pressed to find an Arsenal fan who doesn’t see the transfer as anything other than a failure, but the situation is more nuanced than that.

Pepe’s talent is not in question, but the Ivorian clearly suits a side that operates in transitions, a West Ham for example, who saw Jarod Bowen as a catalyst in their push for European football.

At Lille, he essentially operated in the Bowen role, his game limited to a transition machine, which saw his output skyrocket.

Whilst it’s clear that Pepe won’t maximise his talents here, he will elsewhere, and there are clubs pushing to break into the top 6 that would be hard pressed to sign a better wideman than the 27-year-old.

5 - Arsenal’s hopes of success this season rest on Thomas Partey’s shoulders

The Ghanian oozes quality, every touch, each disguised pass, all the tactical fouls drawn, Partey is the lynch-pin for all potential success next season.

Whilst on the pitch against Everton, the 29-year-old dictated the game, he was the metronome by which the orchestra ahead of him guided themselves. 

Odegaard and Jesus in particular were beneficiaries of the Ghananian’s incisive line breaking passes, able to receive the ball between the lines and create offensive overloads on the Everton back line. 

Arteta witnessed first hand what happened when Partey’s season ended due to injury - the team collapsed. 

Therefore, any hopes of returning to the greatest stage of club football - The Champions League - are inextricably linked to the Gunners’ no.5’s availability. 

The drop off in quality in his absence is drastic. Whilst Lokonga has the potential to be Partey’s successor, the talent is raw, and as for Elneny, he is a squad player, a role the Egyptian is happy to adopt, he is not a regular starter over the course of an intense league season.