Arsenal vs. Everton: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Goals from Olivier Giroud and Tomas Rosicky lifted Arsenal to a 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday.
Despite enjoying a decided advantage in both possession and territory, the Toffees struggled to create meaningful openings and found themselves trailing when Giroud opened the scoring from a corner in the 39th minute.
Rosicky, a second-half substitute, sealed the three points for the Gunners in the 89th minute after his shot deflected off Phil Jagielka.
Overall, there were several performances that caught the eye at Emirates Stadium, as well as one or two that were rather less impressive.
Following are some of the winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Francis Coquelin, Who Didn't Shy Away from a Challenge
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Francis Coquelin bloodied his nose twice on Sunday, and he earned a much-deserved round of applause as he walked down the tunnel after being withdrawn in the 89th minute.
According to WhoScored.com, he also touched the ball 56 times and completed 80 percent of his passes, although it was his feistiness in the centre of the park that served his side especially well.
As statistics site Squawka pointed out on Twitter, the Arsenal midfielder won five tackles during his time on the pitch—more than any other player.
Loser: Ross Barkley, Who Should Have Been a Difference-Maker but Wasn't
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Everton fans—and supporters of England's national team—have been waiting for Ross Barkley to break out this season.
It hasn't happened yet, and it certainly didn't happen on Sunday, when the 21-year-old failed to make any sort of impact against Arsenal.
As Just Football and OptimaLive journalist Deji Faremi stated, it was "another disappointing show" from Barkley.
Winner: David Ospina, Who Made Several Important Saves
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The few shots Everton did manage to put toward goal were generally gobbled up by David Ospina.
The Arsenal goalkeeper did well to deny Romelu Lukaku with a lunging stop in the 68th minute, and not long after, he saved Aaron Lennon's shot from in close and also prevented a rebound.
With four minutes remaining, the Colombia international sacrificed his body to punch the ball away from Lukaku, although he spent about a minute in considerable discomfort as a result.
"Ospina is unbeatable," tweeted The Independent's Joe Krishnan.
Winner: Olivier Giroud, Who Needed a Goal and Got One
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Olivier Giroud had a night to forget in the Champions League during the week, when he took six shots against Monaco but delivered only embarrassing misses.
He needed a bounce-back performance that included a goal, and that's exactly what he produced on Sunday.
With six minutes remaining in the first half, the Arsenal striker did extraordinarily well to sweep the ball into the back of the net on the volley following Mesut Ozil's corner.
Next up is a trip to Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League and an FA Cup date away to Manchester United, and Gunners manager Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly be expecting a similar showing from the France international in those matches.
Loser: Romelu Lukaku, Who Missed Several Chances for Everton
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Romelu Lukaku scored twice against Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday but hasn't found the back of the net in the Premier League since the end of January.
His drought continued at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, when he had one or two decent chances to deliver the breakthrough his side desperately needed.
Early on, the Everton striker found himself clear through on goal after Gabriel's mistake, but a smart rush off the line by Gunners goalkeeper David Ospina prevented him from releasing a meaningful shot.
Then, shortly after the hour mark, the Belgian was denied by a leaping Ospina.
Overall, he took just two shots over the 90 minutes. He needed to do better for the Toffees to stand a chance.
Winner: Gabriel, Who Had a Good Full Premier League Debut for Arsenal
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Gabriel, acquired during the January transfer window, won his full Premier League debut on Sunday and mostly impressed in the centre of defense for Arsenal.
After recovering from a mistake that almost put Romelu Lukaku through to score, the Brazilian made a fantastic, perfectly timed tackle on the Belgium international in the 38th minute and later won the ball well off Ross Barkley.
The 24-year-old was typically well-positioned and, going forward, will be difficult to displace from Arsene Wenger's squad.
"He had an encouraging performance overall," remarked the Gunners manager, via the club's official website. "He's highly focused, has a good concentration level and is quick."
