Premier League: Everton - Arsenal

Recap. Well, Arsene Wenger’s side has put in a master class performance. What a start to the 2009-10 Premier League campaign! They looked swift the entire game, scoring three goals in each half.

David Moyes is pale normally, but he looked like a ghost at the end of this one. A true nightmare for Everton, they need to sort their defensive problems immediately. 6-1 was the score, truly unbelievable.

The men on the mark for Arsenal were Denilson (26’), Vermaelen (37’), Gallas (41’), Fabregas (48’, 70’), Eduardo (89’). Louis Saha got a consolation goal for Everton in the 92nd minute, but by that time half the Everton supporters had left Goodison Park.

Full Time.

93’ - Eduardo nearly makes it 7-1! He tries to chip Howard, but the American is not going to be embarrassed further as he smacks the ball 20 yards. Arshavin is far too casual with the follow-up

92’ - GOAL!!! Arsenal 6 - 1 Everton!!! And Everton pull one back, but only a consolation. Or is the comeback on? No, this one is definitely over. Pienaar tries to slot it past Almunia, but the Spanish keeper gets a hand to it. Saha puts it into Arsenal’s empty net.

90’ - Three minutes of added time.

88’ -  GOAL!!!! Arsenal 6 - 0 Everton!!! Eduardo scores on his first game back in the EPL. Eduardo pokes it through Yobo’s legs to Arshavin, who trip to tap the ball into Howard’s corner, but it strikes the post. Eduardo is there, and slips the final dagger into the first game of the Premier League for both sides. This is men against boys.

86’ - Song takes a knock, and embellishes it quite a bit. Pure frustration on the face of Everton’s squad.

85’ - This is like a training drill. One and two touch passing only from Arsenal. Ramsey takes a shot from about 25 yards, but it curls high and wide. Not a bad effort.

83’ - Lescott has been Everton’s best defender on the day, as he closes Arshavin down. But is he worth £22m? I don’t think so, Moyes could use that money for some much needed strengthening.

81’ - Goodison Park is maybe half full now. Or half empty if you’re an Everton fan. Arsenal continue to possess with comfort.

79’ - One touch passing leads to a good effort by Eduardo that just goes past Tim Howard’s post. Howard will be happy to see a shot go wide for a change. Arsenal are in total control.

76’ - Best chance for Everton thus far. Saha gets the ball on the 18 and takes a quick snapshot that just flies wide of the bottom left-hand corner.

75’ - Arshavin’s shot is deflected, Arsenal win a corner. Eboue takes the corner, and wins another. Arsenal fans are jubilant. Pienaar shows his class by outwitting two Arsenal players and blowing by them before drawing a free kick. Actual cheers from Everton fans. First cheers in 20 minutes.

73’ - Fabregas off, Ramsey on. Van Persie off, Eduardo on. Eduardo will take the captain’s armband as he returns to the Premier League after over a year out due to injury.

71’ - “We are top of the league,” chant the Arsenal fans. Everton fans are now leaving in masses.

70’ - GOAL!!! Arsenal 5 - 0 Everton!!! Fabregas bags his second of the game. A counterattack, and Almunia will get the assist. Fabregas hits it from 22 yards past Howard. Fabregas then brings out a Jarque jersey from the Arsenal bench. Jarque was Espanyol’s captain who died last week on a preseason tour in Italy.

68’ - Arsenal are now hitting the ball around with such simple grace. They are possessing with style.

67’ - Arshavin has been nearly unstoppable today. Yobo puts his strike wide for an Arsenal corner.

65’ - Saha is caught offside, his first touch on the ball.

63’ - Bendtner off, Eboue on. Bendtner should be proud of his performance today, and the Arsenal fans that travelled up North are applauding him as they should be.

62’ - Pienaar strikes a 30-yard free kick well, and forces Almunia to parry. Arsenal’s defence holds strong on the follow-up efforts.

61’ - Newcastle are up 3-0 against Reading. Ameobi has a hat trick. But that’s not Premier League news, so nevermind.

58’ - Osman off, Saha on. Striker on for a winger. Jo off, Jack Rodwell on. Hibbert off, Dan Gosling on. Two Everton youngsters on. David Moyes uses all three of his substitutes.

57’ - Arshavin swings in a corner, cleared out. Arshavin finds himself with the ball again, but Jo dispossesses. Now Everton are finding it hard to get it out of their half.

56’ - Fabregas wins a corner for Arsenal after a swift counter-attack.

55’ - Jo gives it to Hibbert, which Clichy deflects out for an Everton corner. Baines delivers, and again absolutely no problems from Almunia. Everton fans are livid.

53’ - Everton have a free kick. Plenty of height to give it to, but Almunia holds onto a poor free kick.

52’ - Denilson is down after a tackle from Cahill, holding his shoulder.

51’ - Some Everton supporters have started to journey home, sad day for the Goodison Park faithful.

50’ - Arsenal are not very good playing defensively, so Wenger is continuously urging his team forward. Moyes is telling his team to show their character, even though a comeback from 4-0 seems impossible.

48’ - GOAL!!! Arsenal 4 - 0 Everton!!! This is just embarrassing. Arshavin leads it to Van Persie down the left wing. Van Persie slots a light pass to Fabregas, who puts it through Howard’s legs. A true statement of intent from Arsenal. Is Everton this bad, or is Arsenal THIS good?

46’ - No subs despite the score. David Moyes’ defence needs a different attitude in how they plan to stop the likes of Fabregas, Arshavin, van Persie, and Bendtner.

Second Half Kickoff- You have to wonder what David Moyes said to his team after those horrendous 45 minutes. The Arsenal players, as they come out of the tunnel, do not look content. Anyway, we’re off again!

Halftime. Arsenal have hit the ground running. A difficult 45 minutes from the Goodison Park faithful. Denilson, Gallas, and Vermaelen all on the mark, and Wenger walks into the tunnel with a subtle smirk. He looks content. Boos are ringing out from Everton supporters, a woeful 45 minutes from the Merseyside Blues. Join us again in 15 minutes. Arsenal have had 9 shots, Everton have had only 1.

45’ - 2 minutes of added time. Bendtner has proved himself so far. He is a menacing wing player today. Sagna swings in a cross, and Fabregas puts it well wide of the mark.

44’ - Total football by Arsenal at the moment. Van Persie plays in Denilson, and Hibbert saves a certain fourth goal. Denilson rounded Howard, but Hibbert was there.

43’ - David Moyes looks ill. And the Everton supporters at Goodison Park are disgusted. Arsenal really haven’t dominated play, but they have had the class to finish all of their good opportunities.

41’ - Goal!!! Baines gives away a free kick. Three for Arsenal! Goal in the 41st minute from a Fabregas set piece. Gallas is unmarked, getting the slightest of touches to put it past Howard. Poor Howard, these three goals were all unstoppable, and he is rightfully yelling at his back line.

39’ - Normally a 2 -0 lead is enough to kill a game, but Everton are not prepared to let that happen.

37’ - GOAL!!!! Arsenal 2 - 0 Everton!!! Arsenal’s summer signing gets a free header at the back post from a 40 yard Van Persie service. The dutch centre-back was able to head the ball across the goal and across an out-stretched Howard into the side netting.

35’ - Jo intercepts a stray Sagna pass in the final third, but Gallas is there to dispossess the Brazilian.

34’ - Arshavin is offside, but he chipped Howard with unbelievable class. Still 1-0 though.

33’ - Vermaelen, again, dispossesses Osman, and concedes an Everton corner. Fellaini meets the corner well, and it is a goal-line clearance from Denilson. He’s having quite the 45. Scoring a goal at one half and preventing a goal on the other half.

32’ - Vermaelen knocks the ball from Osman, conceding an Everton corner.

31’ - Van Persie wins a corner for Arsenal. Arshavin curls it in, but a tremendous vertical from Howard allows him to collect. Everton counter quickly, but Pienaar is dispossessed by Sagna.

29’ - Well when Arsenal connect they do so beautifully. That goal hit Everton hard, as David Moyes’ side looked to have the upper hand in the game.

26’ - Goal!!! Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton!!! Bendtner weaves through two Everton players on the right flank, plays it inside to Fabregas. Fabregas then leads it to Denilson, who curls it with the in-step of his right foot on his first touch. A class strike reaches the top left corner of Howard’s net. The Brazilian races to the corner for a bit of Samba dancing!

25’ - Cahill takes down Clichy, free kick to Arsenal.

24’ - Everton and Arsenal are both stuck in. Fellaini is a problem Arsenal do not know how to deal with due to his height. Vermaelen does his best to rise above Fellaini but has to foul him.

21’ - Pienaar sends in a perfectly weighted ball for Tim Cahill, who cannot control it on his first touch. Vermaelen was beaten on the inside.

20’ - Flowing passing from Arsenal. Bendtner tries to tease Baines, but Baines takes it from him with class. Song’s passing has been impeccable in the first 20 minutes of this encounter.

18’ - Van Persie free kick from 40 yards out. He has a curling effort, a strange cross/shot combination. Howard will never be beaten from there. Jo is caught offside. The pace of this game is picking up.

16’ - Vermaelen shows his class with two necessary clearances. Arsenal are having trouble getting out of their own half at the moment.

15’ - Almunia scuffs a Gallas back pass.

11’ - Bendtner nods down a well-placed Clichy cross, and van Persie latches on it on the turn. But Yobo knocks it wide for an Arsenal corner.

10’ - Sagna takes a nudge from Cahill. Not too bad, certainly a foul though. Sagna has stayed down though. Just before Fabregas sent a superb ball to Denilson but Lescott turned it back to Howard.

8’ - Pienaar is flagged as Cahill launches a ball over the top. Cahill’s pass looked perfect, as the replay showed. Bendtner then has a speculative effort from 30 yards, well over. He has doubled his number from 26 to 52 for good luck this season.

6’ - Fellaini is caught offside. Jo times his pass wrong. Arsenal have been passing with style through the midfield, but the final ball isn’t there.

4’ - Thomas Vermaelen has his first importance clearance of the Premier League with Arsenal. The former Ajax captain looking completely composed.

1’ - The game already is bursting with colour, as both sides look to play positive football today.

And Everton and Arsenal have begun their respective 2009-10 campaigns! Game is underway!

Sir Bobby Robson Minute of Honour, then Kickoff at Goodison Park!

Players are now walking out of the tunnel… Tim Howard just returned from Mexico City as the United States lost to Mexico 2-1 on Wednesday in CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying.

Results from around the league: Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull City, Fulham 1 - 0 Portsmouth, Sunderland 1 - 0 Bolton, West Ham 2 - 0 Wolverhampton, Stoke City 2 - 0 Burnley, Wigan 2 - 0 Aston Villa, Manchester City 2 - 0 Blackburn

Everton Starting XI (4-4-2):

Howard

Hibbert    Yobo   Lescott     Baines

Osman   Neville   Cahill      Pienaar

Fellaini        Jo

Everton Subs: Nash, Saha, Vaughan, Gosling, Rodwell, Baxter, Duffy

Arsenal Starting XI (4-3-3):

Almunia

Sagna Vermaelen  Gallas  Clichy

Denilson     Song       Fabregas

Van Persie   Arshavin    Bendtner

Arsenal Subs: Silvestre, Eboue, Eduardo, Mannone, Fran Merida, Ramsey, Gibbs

Pregame- Arsenal all the slight favourites in their clash against Everton, but it easier said than done to get an away win at Goodison Park.

Arsene Wenger will only be satisfied with three points as his Arsenal side make the trip to Goodison Park to take on David Moyes’ Everton side. The fourth and fifth place finishes face off, but the difference is that Moyes is content finishing in fifth while Wenger is not. This is the defining year for Wenger’s youth, as the team the Frenchman created is expected to bring trophies back to the Emirates Stadium this year.

Arsenal has sold Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure for a combined £40m. Phil Senderos has also been rumoured to be moving to Goodison Park as a potential replacement for Joleon Lescott.

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has been using morally-questionable tactics to try to lure Lescott from the Merseyside to Manchester, but David Moyes has slammed Hughes for these tactics and has insisted Lescott will not be sold. City have offered £20m for Everton’s England international, but Moyes refuses to do business because City are “doing things the wrong way”.