Published: 7 April, 2014
by ALLAN LEDWARD at Goodison Park

Premier League
EVERTON 3, ARSENAL 0

IN what was billed as a pivotal clash in the race for fourth, Arsenal lacked a sense of purpose until Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a 66th-minute substitute, ran straight at the Everton defence and smashed a shot against the crossbar. 

By that time, the game had gone, and so had Mikel Arteta's temper. The former Everton favourite had received pantomime booing from the home fans and, after scoring an own goal that sealed the defeat, the Spaniard got into a spat with Ross Barkley and Leighton Baines. It summed up a miserable Sunday of frustration for the Gunners.

This was the teams' third meeting of the season, and came just a few weeks after Arsenal brushed the Toffees aside in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Emirates. But Everton boss Roberto Martinez dismantled the players' familiarity by rolling out a formation that baffled Arsenal all afternoon.

With Romelu Lukaku deployed on Everton's right, Nacho Monreal was overpowered, and Thomas Vermaelan and Per Mertesacker were left in confused limbo. 

After Steven Naismith rolled in Everton's first on 13 minutes, it was Lukaku who swept past Monreal and Vermaelen before firing past Wojciech Szczęsny.

The Gunners went close through Olivier Giroud, with an effort that could have changed the direction of the game, but most of their first-half passing and movement failed to trouble Everton. 

The match was effectively ended 15 minutes after the break when Bacary Sagna, offered few options by his team-mates, was dispossessed by Kevin Mirallas. The Belgian's driving run forward ended with Arteta's desperate attempt to clear that ended up in his own net.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's failure to respond to Everton's tactics didn't help the cause, but this result was about more than systems – the home side boasted a far superior work rate and greater intensity. 

Other than the classy contribution from Oxlade-Chamberlain, the return of Aaron Ramsey, who replaced Mathieu Flamini midway through the second half, was Arsenal's only other positive from the trip to the North West.

The Gunners could move a step closer to ending their trophy drought at Wembley on Saturday, but they could also be nudged out of the top four on the same day if Everton get at least a point at Sunderland.

In the race for the Champions League, the momentum is clearly with the Merseysiders, but, with both Manchester teams still to go to Goodison, so is a more difficult run-in. 

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Monreal, Arteta, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Cazorla, Flamini (Ramsey, 66 mins), Giroud (Sanogo, 71 mins), Rosicky, Podolski (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 66 mins).
Attendance: 39,504.