Everton 2-1 Arsenal: Player Ratings as Gunners Suffer Another Abject Defeat

Everton jumped to second in the table with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday, piling the pressure on under-fire Gunners coach Mikel Arteta.

The Toffees took the lead on 22 minutes, when Alex Iwobi's cross was met by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, whose header deflected off Rob Holding and beyond Bernd Leno. Arsenal were handed a way back into the game when Tom Davies fouled Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the penalty area, and Nicolas Pepe coolly dispatched the spot-kick.

But the hosts regained their lead in first-half stoppage time, after defender Yerry Mina rose highest to glance an in-swinging cross into the near post.

Arsenal came close to equalising midway through the second half, when a Jordan Pickford error allowed David Luiz a pop at goal, but his deflected effort rattled the crossbar. The Gunners struggled to break Everton down, and the hosts held on to claim all three points, condemning Arteta to an eighth defeat in 14 matches.

Let's take a look at the player ratings from an exciting afternoon at Goodison Park.

EVERTON

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Jordan Pickford (GK) - 7/10 - Sent the wrong way for the penalty. Almost gifted Arsenal a second equaliser with some terrible handling from a cross, but his teammates dug him out. Huge intervention at the end.

Mason Holgate (RB) - 7/10 - Didn't give WIllian a sniff, and always cautious of the overlapping Saka and Tierney. Becoming an excellent defender under Ancelotti.

Yerry Mina (CB) - 8/10 - Brilliant glancing header at the front post to reinstate Everton's lead. On the receiving end of a nasty stamp by Ceballos, but that didn't put him off his task.

Michael Keane (CB) - 8/10 - Almost broke the deadlock with a 30-yard rasper. Uncharacteristically dangerous. Powerful in the tackle and thrived on the challenge of stopping the inexperienced Nketiah.

Ben Godfrey (LB) - 7/10 - Some hard tackling to get the fans geed up in the stands, crashing legally through Ceballos in the first half. Remained focused throughout.

2. Midfielders

Gylfi Sigurdsson (CM) - 8/10 - Some very nice intricate touches to link midfield and attack and set speedy counters in motion. Classy as ever.

Abdoulaye Doucoure (CM) - 7/10 - Stopped Arsenal progressing and dragged the Toffees forward. Spared Pickford's blushes with a good block. A quality midfielder.

Tom Davies (CM) - 6/10 - Mistimed a clumsy challenge to allow Arsenal back into the game just after the half-hour mark. Needless. Recovered to play his part in the midfield battle.

3. Forwards

Alex Iwobi (RW) - 7/10 - Made space for himself to whip in a dangerous cross, forcing Holding into own-goal action. Plenty of pace and skills to scare his ex-teammates.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (ST) - 8/10 - Got a touch on the cross for the first goal, but wouldn't have been enough to hit the target without Holding's intervention. Almost hit top bins with a great effort from distance. Drove and hurt the Arsenal defence with power and speed.

Richarlison (LW) - 8/10 - Fast, strong and dynamic. Provided some lovely link up with Calvert-Lewin and always aimed to get in behind his wing-back. When Richarlison plays well, Everton play well. Fact.

4. Substitutes

Seamus Coleman (RB) - 6/10

Jonjoe Kenny (LB) - N/A

Cenk Tosun (ST) - N/A

ARSENAL

5. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) - 6/10 - Pulled off a stunning save to pluck Calvert-Lewin's drive out of the top corner. Couldn't keep out the resulting corner, though.

Rob Holding (CB) - 4/10 - Nightmare. Attempted to turn a cross away, but a late deflection beat him all ends up and he sorrily put the ball into his own net.

David Luiz (CB) - 5/10 - Seemed to be having more arguments with teammates than good moments in defence or on the ball. Too much bickering across the backline. Hit the crossbar with a deflected effort.

Kieran Tierney (CB) - 6/10 - Allowed the cross to come in for the opener. Showed great energy to get down the line and cut a ball back for Nketiah from an unlikely position.

6. Wing-Backs & Midfielders

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RWB) - 6/10 - Won the penalty by being a fraction quicker than his marker. Other than that, not brilliant. Never close to stopping Richarlison on that wing.

Dani Ceballos (CM) - 6/10 - Very lucky not to see red for a nasty challenge and stamp on the back of Mina's leg. Not the same player he was at the end of last season.

Mohamed Elneny (CM) - 5/10 - Picked up a yellow card in the first half. Not up to standard for a team trying to climb back into the top half of the table. Off the pace.

Bukayo Saka (LWB) - 5/10 - Poor display, really. Plenty of desire, but left isolated on that flank as Arsenal struggled to get the ball into threatening positions.

7. Forwards

Nicolas Pepe (RW) - 6/10 - Calm as you like when rolling the penalty into the net. Apart from that one kick, did extremely little. Not the player Arsenal hoped he'd be.

Eddie Nketiah (ST) - 5/10 - Squandered a wonderful chance to equalise almost immediately after going behind, stroking the ball wide of the target.

Willian (LW) - 5/10 - Poor, offered little and sluggish. Not the man needed to carve and create - not anymore. Abject.

8. Substitutes

Joe Willock (CM) - 7/10

Gabriel Martinelli (LW) - 6/10

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) - 6/10