Everton gained their first point of the WSL season today, keeping a clean sheet as they stole a well deserved point from a lacklustre Arsenal.
Arsenal approached the match with the patient confidence one would expect of a title challenger, but that is not to say that Everton let them dictate the play. The Toffees set up to disrupt their hosts in the North London drizzle, with central midfielder Clare Wheeler and forward Karoline Olesen leading the press to incredible effect.
Arsenal would go close three times in the opening 25 minutes by way of shots from Kyra Cooney-Cross and Mariona Caldentey, while Emily Fox’s mishit cross shaved the crossbar.
It was Everton outperforming themselves in the first half, though, as goalkeepers Courtney Brosnan and Daphne van Domselaar made save after crucial save to keep the match goalless at the break.
The second half saw trends continue. Arsenal struggled for creativity despite enjoying the bulk of the possession, with substitutes similarly ineffective. Everton were more than happy to dig in and fight to the finish, grinding out a much needed first point of the season after a dismal opening two games.
Several chances went either way, but ultimately the match would end goalless in front of a disappointed home crowd. The 150 travelling Everton fans will have a far more enjoyable trip home.
Here’s five things we learned from Arsenal 0-0 Everton.
Swashbuckling Everton will not go down without a fight
This season has not been an easy one for Everton. Winless in three and plagued by injuries, including ruptured ACLs for Inma Gabarro and Aurora Galli, the season’s opening stages have not gone according to Brian Sorenson’s plan.
Today, though, the team proved that they were worth their salt. Facing one of Europe’s top teams, they refused to back down, contesting every 50/50 as though their lives depended on it.
An effective tactical setup also worked wonders for disrupting Arsenal, who approached the match with the intention of holding onto possession and wearing the guests down. The Gunners did not count on Everton’s high press, which constantly disrupted their patterns of play, while injections of pace from Olesen and Hayashi marked the Toffee’s as a genuine threat on the counterattack.
The light at the end of the Mersey Tunnels gets ever brighter.
Will Arsenal be able to hack a hectic schedule?
For Arsenal, today’s match was the first in a run of five which will take place in the next 15 days, including an away day at Bayern Munich and a home tie against Chelsea.
Today’s performance was lacklustre and appeared tiring for the home contingent, who attacked relentlessly throughout the match and were frustrated.
Facing a tight timeline over the next two weeks, morale and momentum will prove to be crucial, and one must wonder whether the team have done enough today to kickstart the run.
Will there be room for academy players in the Arsenal setup?
Arsenal media took today as a chance to show off the latest Hale End products, celebrating Katie Reid signing her first professional contract by way of an extended video interview played on the big screens before kick-off.
One must wonder, though, where she will fit in. Listed on the back of the matchday programme as one of 28 squad members, Reid will have a mountain to climb when it comes to breaking in, particularly with the likes of Laia Codina, Lotte Wubben-Moy, and Leah Williamson ahead of her.
The pathways from academy to first team are clear at Arsenal, though Reid may face the toughest task yet to add her name to an already illustrious list of graduates.
Brosnan steals Van Domselaar’s thunder
Arsenal’s previous clash with Leicester was defined by one woman: Daphne Van Domselaar, the newly signed goalkeeper making a long awaited debut.
She kept a clean sheet as the Gunners struggled to a narrow win in the Midlands, and the story today should have been about her building on that strong foundation.
It was Everton’s Courtney Brosnan who showed her hand between the sticks, though, producing six saves and as she helped her side to a crucial draw.
The flow of play was made clear by the 59 touches Brosnan took during the match.
The Irish keeper stands just 5’9” tall and is in her fourth year at Everton. She more than proved her worth today, totally upstaging her Arsenal counterpart, who sported a considerably higher price tag.
Jonas Eidevall has plenty of questions and not many answers
Game management is a crucial element of winning a football match, and it seems to be an area where Jonas Eidevall is falling short. As his side cried out for creativity and a defined cutting edge, the manager’s substitutions failed to address the needs of the team.
Despite adding valuable attackers across the front four, Arsenal’s attack remained stagnant, peppering the Everton goal with poorly struck explorative shots. As the clock continued to tick down, Arsenal wanted not for energy, but remained devoid of tangible attacking threat.
With a crucial run of games on the horizon, Eidevall will have to buck up his ideas.
Featured image credit: Jaimi Joy/Getty Images via One Football
