Arsenal news: Damarai Gray hits injury time winner as Everton beat Gunners 2-1

Demarai Gray scored a stoppage time winner as Everton beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League fixture at Goodison Park on Monday night. Martin Odegaard had given Arsenal the lead on the stroke of halftime before Richarlison scored a late equalizer. Just when it was looking like the points would be shared, Gray’s thunderbolt effort sealed the win for the hosts. Both sides came into the match on the back of some poor form. Arsenal were beaten by Manchester United in their previous match while Everton were winless in eight games.

The first half was a cagey affair as both sides failed to create too many clear cut chances. Gray was a lively figure in the Everton forward line. He ballooned an effort over the bar before sending a teasing cross from the right which went harmlessly across the goal as no one could make a connection.

On 27 minutes, a section of Everton fans left their seats as part of a planned protest, and a banner was unfurled in the Gwladys street End that read ‘We demand nil satis nisi optimum, it’s about time our club did too’, referring to the club’s motto that translates as ‘ nothing but the best is good enough’. It was Everton’s 27th year without a trophy.

Back on the pitch, Ben Godfrey was lucky not to get a red card after standing on Tomiyasu’s face on his follow through. Although VAR intervened for a potential red card, the 23-year-old survived to stay on the pitch.

Meanwhile just after the half-hour mark, Everton were forced to bring central defender Yerry Mina off with Mason Holgate coming in. A minute before the break, The home side thought they had taken the lead when Richarlison’s header from Andros Townsend’s free-kick went in. But a VAR check disallowed the goal for offside.

To add to Everton’s frustration, the visitors scored at the other end in the first half stoppage time. Left back Kieran Tierney’s cross was volleyed into the bottom corner by odegaard at the near post.

After the break, Abdoulaye Doucouré slid the ball in for Richarlison to slot home but once again, the goal ruled offside after a VAR check. However, 11 minutes from time, it proved a case of third time lucky for Richarlison. The Brazilian headed home from a rebound after Gray’s effort from outside the box struck the crossbar. It was the 24-year-old’s 50th Premier League goal.

Nketiah’s miss proves costly as Gray scores a superb winner

At the other end, the Gunners had a golden chance to regain the lead, but substitute Eddie Nketiah’s close range header from Bukayo Saka’s cross hit the upright. It proved to be a costly miss as the hosts scored an injury time winner. Gray cut inside from the left and unleashed a powerful right-foot strike from outside the box that struck the inside of the post and went in. Arsenal custodian Aaron Ramsdale had no chance of making a save.

However, the Gunners had a last chance to equalize as the ball fell to substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the right side of the box, but his shot went wide. The win helped Everton to 12th place in the points table with 18 points from 15 games. While Arsenal lost ground in the race to finish in the top four as West Ham and Manchester United had registered victories earlier. 

Everton boss Rafael Benitez said after the match, “It is clear, when the fans, the players, everybody sticks together we are stronger. The reaction of the team to the goals that were disallowed and conceding a goal at the end of the first half, we still scored goals and reacted. Every player and fan is expecting that. Everybody is really pleased and hopefully it is the right step forward.

“The VAR… I don’t know if the lines can be thicker or not? It was against us. I said a lot of times that we were close to winning a lot of times. Today was another example. Everything is against you but the character they showed today, with the fans behind, they can enjoy that. The fans were pleased because the players gave everything.

“The fans are expecting commitment. You can talk about mistakes and we conceded because we made mistakes against a good team. In terms of commitment the players are there, and the fans appreciate that. They want to see a team that has spent a lot of money getting better and better. We will do it. It will take time, but we will do it. Everybody now has the hope.”