Sean Dyche paid tribute to Arsenal’s work rate and speed of thought following Everton’s thumping 4-0 defeat away to the Gunners on Wednesday night, speaking to The Toffees website.
Andy Townsend, in commentary, warned a tight-knit, deep-lying Everton side that all it would take was a momentary lapse in concentration for Arsenal to punish them. Seconds later, his words felt prophetic, to say the least.
After keeping the Premier League leaders at arms’ length for 40 minutes, Bukayo Saka drifted unnoticed into a pocket of space. He beautifully controlled a probing Oleksandr Zinchenko pass, and lashed a searing strike into the near post. Velvet and venom, all in one.
And that was Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in a nutshell. Just when you think you’ve got them all locked up, they find the key. Moments after Saka’s sumptuous opener, Idrissa Gana Gueye was caught dwelling on the ball as Gabriel Martinelli snaffled up his first of an Emirates brace; exactly the sort of mistake you don’t need in the midst of a relegation battle.
Arsenal thrash Everton 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium
“It’s difficult at this place. 2-0 down at this place is very, very tough,” Dyche sighed at full-time; Arsenal extending their lead over Manchester City to five points.
“You’re in that fine line. You want to open up a bit but you’re aware that this lot are more than capable (of punishing you). And it’s not just that they are capable with the ball, you know. They work very hard, they are a team who work quickly in transition. They see the picture very quickly.
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“That comes with confidence. It’s a team that has been built over time, and they had some really tough times. (We were) well beaten by a top side.”
After a sluggish first-half, Arsenal turned on the style in the second. The sort of domineering, swaggering performance that is the hallmark of champions. Martin Odegaard converted a stylish Leandro Trossard assist on 71 minutes. Martinelli tapped in his second of the evening soon after, following some fine work from substitute Eddie Nketiah and the influential Zinchenko.
Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of Arsenal’s performance, however, was not so much the quality of the finishing but their perseverance and their pressing. Everton barely had a kick at times after the interval; steamrollered by a team who’s confidence continues to skyrocket.
After a bright start, meanwhile, Dyche’s Everton have now lost two in a row.
In other news, Alan Shearer blown away by Tottenham man’s perfect display against Chelsea
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