Eddie Nketiah and Mikel Arteta paid a classy tribute to Sean Dyche’s Everton after Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime, speaking to the Gunners website.
Every single shred of logic told you that this was a game with only one winner. Arsenal, the runaway leaders, against an Everton team without a league win since late-October; taking an industrial powerdrill to ‘rock bottom’ and finding that, yes, you can go lower.
And yet. And yet.
There was something inevitable, something oh-so ‘footbally’ about the way Everton regrouped, responded and fought back with their backs pinned firmly against the wall. And, typically, Sean Dyche’s first game in charge was decided by a header from a centre-back at a set-piece; James Tarkowski (once of Burnley), shoving aside arguably the Premier League Player of the Season Martin Odegaard to convert a corner from the outsanding Dwight McNeil (once of Burnley).
New manager bounce? You can say that again.
Sean Dyche claims win on Everton debut against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal
“I think Everton were really good,” Arteta sighed. “We have to congratulate them first for the way they have turned things around. I think they won the game because they were really efficient.
“They were really direct, and we struggled to control that type of game. You have to give credit to Sean and the team at Everton, because it’s one thing saying it and another doing it. And I think they did it really well today.
“We put ourselves in many situations and we had to defend so many set pieces,” the Gunners boss adds. “And, against this team, it is a very difficult thing to do.
“They work on (set pieces) every single day, and are really good at it. We have experience with Burnley in that type of situation, and we have to prevent that happening. We have to do the basics in defending really well against this team.”
‘They made it very tough’
It was a win straight out of the Sean Dyche playbook; a resilient backline, a rock solid but energetic midfield, crafty wingplay, countless crosses, and a classic number nine leading the line. An Everton performance reminiscent of the David Moyes heydey; when bloodying the big boys’ noses became something of an annual tradition.
So many managers failed to stamp their authority on this Everton side. But there is a feeling that Dyche has the personality and the tactical blueprint to harness an expectant fanbase and a squad of players who look almost scarily well-suited to the 51-year-old’s pragmatic, physical approach.
“It was a difficult game,” admits Nketiah, who missed one of Arsenal’s few clear chances. “They made it very tough. Personally, we weren’t at the standard we needed to be at today, and we’ve got to improve and make sure we bounce back in our next game.
“Credit to them, they put out a good gameplan and executed it well today. I felt like we just didn’t execute ours to the best of our ability. We were a bit sloppy at times.”
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