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Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at a rain-soaked Emirates, Ezri Konsa scoring his first goal for the club after seven minutes and Gabriel heading in a second in the 68th minute on his 200th Premier League appearance. Everton had their moments, with Thierno Barry pouncing on a loose Ben White header back before half-time only for David Raya to save, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall hitting the post late on, but they had far fewer shots than Arsenal and never quite got level. Gabriel took a nasty fall midway through the second half and still came back to score, which is the sort of thing that gets you a mention. That's Matchweek 8 done: Arsenal go up to 21 points, level with Manchester City at the top after City's first defeat of the season, though City keep the better goal difference. Everton have now lost back-to-back games after an unbeaten start and sit around the middle of the table on 8 points.
Pre-match Talking Points
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1Arsenal are 2nd on 18 points from seven games, three behind a Manchester City side that has won all seven. Slip up here and the gap becomes a problem rather than a talking point. Everton are 10th on 8 points, comfortably clear of trouble but not yet anywhere near the European places.
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2Arsenal have a decent record against Everton, though Goodison Park used to be a surprisingly awkward place for them, with only three wins there in about a decade. This one is at the Emirates, which suits Arsenal much better. Everton's move to their new stadium means that old ground grudge is slightly out of date, so tread carefully if you bring it up.
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3Viktor Gyökeres is the one to watch. Arsenal have scored just 11 goals in seven games, fewer than City, Brighton or Chelsea, so the big-money striker is the obvious man to fix that. Mention that and you sound like you've been paying attention, which is a low bar but a useful one.
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4Everton have drawn five of their seven games. Five. They've lost only once, which is the kind of record that annoys opponents and delights nobody. Arsenal, by contrast, have lost once and won six, so something has to give, even if it's only a goalless draw.
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5The hook is the numbers. Arsenal have conceded only 5 goals all season, while Everton have scored just 7. If you like a tight, nervy game where one goal decides it, this is your fixture. If you like goals, maybe check the Man City score instead.
Team Talking Points
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1Arsenal are top of the table with 27 points from 10 games – nine wins and one defeat, which equals the best start to a league season in the club's history. They're five points clear of second-placed Brighton going into the international break, and they're the reigning champions, so the old 'nearly men' jokes have officially expired.
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2Their last game was a 1-0 home win over Hull, settled by a Martin Ødegaard goal with about 18 minutes left. It wasn't pretty – the defence did most of the heavy lifting – but grinding out wins on an off day is exactly what title-winning sides do. Say 'they won ugly' and you'll sound like you watched it.
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3The week before, Arsenal won at Anfield to go top. This week the Premier League's independent incidents panel ruled 4-1 that Jurrien Timber should have given away a penalty for pulling Alexander Isak's shirt in that game. Arsenal fans will tell you it all evens out over a season; Liverpool fans will not.
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4Martin Zubimendi, the £60m midfielder who was a key part of last season's title win, hasn't started a single Premier League game this season, and Real Madrid, Atlético and Chelsea are reportedly sniffing around. He told Marca this week he's not been in contact with anyone and isn't close to leaving. Bring it up gently – it's a sore spot.
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5Viktor Gyökeres is having a lovely international break: he's now scored in seven consecutive Nations League games for Sweden, a competition record. Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, has signed a new deal to 2030. Arsenal go to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November when the league returns – historically a ground where they find life awkward.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Nine wins from ten is lovely, but the real test is St James' Park after the break – that's where Arsenal title seasons go to get nervous.
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Avoid saying
"Arsenal always bottle it" – they're the defending champions and top by five points. Wheel that one out and everyone will assume you've been asleep since 2023.
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1Everton are fifth in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat promoted Coventry 3-1 last Friday. It was their third league win in a row. If you'd told an Everton fan a couple of years ago they'd be looking down on most of the league in November, they'd have asked what you were drinking.
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2Thierno Barry was the hero, scoring twice in about four minutes and setting up another, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall adding the third. Barry is the name to drop right now. He's turned into exactly the kind of big, awkward centre-forward Goodison fans always loved, now playing at the new stadium.
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3David Moyes was refreshingly honest afterwards. He admitted Coventry made it 'really difficult' and Everton were lucky not to concede a penalty for a James Tarkowski challenge before half-time. Managers who admit they got away with one are rare, so enjoy it.
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4That win was Moyes's 592nd game in charge of Everton, level with Harry Catterick for the most in the club's history. Catterick won two league titles, so it's a proper bit of company. Assuming he's in the dugout at Brentford on 23 November, Moyes takes the record outright.
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5The fixture list after the break is spicy, with a Merseyside derby against Liverpool coming up in the next few weeks. For the first time in a long while, Everton might go into it higher up the table than their neighbours care to admit.
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Top thing to say down the pub
Moyes is about to become the longest-serving manager in Everton's history, and the team's actually playing like it. Fifth in November isn't a fluke anymore.
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Avoid saying
"Everton are always in a relegation scrap" — that line was depressingly accurate for a while, which is exactly why fans in the top five will take great pleasure in correcting you.