(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
After a pre-season full of doom and gloom, what better way to ram it down the critics' throats than smash a side challeging to be one of the top four sides in the EPL.
Going into yesterday's game Arsenal fans may of been forgiven for not being full of confidence playing against a robust Everton team most would view as more than capable of upsetting the young yet technically gifted Gunners. But those concerns were blown away in 90 sensational minutes as Arsenal's ability, coupled with some terrible Everton defending, provided them with what could be a teaser for things to come in the season ahead.
Arsenal's line up was different to what we had seen in previous seasons with Wenger going for a 4-2-3-1 formation. The debutant Vermaelen stepped into the departed Toure's position in defence with Song and Denilson acting as the midfield anchors yesterday allowing Fabregas the freedom to get forward, of which he did to devastating effect!
The first goal of the game came from an unlikely source in the 26th minute as Bendtner outwitted Leighton Baines down the right before slotting the ball inside for Fabregas, who then shifted the ball into the path of Denilson. Without breaking stride, from 26 yard out, Denilson swept a right footed shot into the top left hand corner of Tim Howard's net.
A few minutes later Denilson came to Arsenal's rescue down the other end as Everton applied pressure from a corner. Leighton Baines curled the ball into Arsenal's area from the right, with Fellaini climbing highest to direct a header across Almunia but Denilson was waiting on the post to clear Fellaini's header off the line.
After that scare Arsenal never looked back. Bendtner, who had been causing Baines trouble all afternoon, won a free kick 40 yards out which Van Persie swung into Everton's goal area. The Toffee's defence was static as Vermaelen managed to find himself free at the back post to head home on his debut.
Fabregas repeated the trick four minutes later crossing into the box from a free kick on the left, this time Gallas all alone to flick the ball beyond Howard.
Everton didn't appear to have any answer to Arsenal's onslaught and it got worse for the Toffee's three minutes into the second half.
Denilson found himself with the ball to the left of Arsenal's area passing the ball down the line nutmegging an Everton player in the process sending Van Persie off down the line. Van Persie then slipped the ball through Yobo's legs for the on-rushing Fabregas, who duly dispatched the ball into the net between the legs of the keeper.
It was an Arsenal move of old breaking from one box the other and Fabregas did it again, on his own this time, in the 69th minute. Almunia, sensing a break was on, threw the ball to Fabregas who then powered forward from his own half unchallenged to the edge of the area before driving the ball across the keeper into the bottom left hand corner.
With the game as good as over and the Everton fans leaving in their droves, Arsenal took off their star men. Eduardo and Ramsey coming on for Van Persie and Fabregas respectively.
It was the Brazillian-born Croatian who added to Arsenal's tally with two minutes to go. Arshavin manoeuvred some space in the Everton box, sending a left foot toe poke across the keeper which rebounded back off the post. Eduardo, ever the fox in the box, had continued his run and poached from close range making the score even more unbearable for the 5000 or so Everton fans that were left in the ground.
Those few fans that had stayed behind were rewarded for their loyalty when Saha side footed into an unguarded net in the second minute of injury time to give them something to cheer about.
Although Everton's defending was poor yesterday it was largely down to an Arsenal side that found their rhythm early on and competed in a way that they haven't in previous seasons.
Alex Song and Denilson were prime examples of this as their new found bite in the challenge and non-stop niggling tackles on Neville, Fellaini and Cahill provided the platform for Arshavin, Fabregas and Van Persie to do what they do best...and didn't they do it well!
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