Arsenal level with Manchester City as Konsa and Gabriel sink Everton 2-0
Arsenal level with Manchester City as Konsa and Gabriel sink Everton 2-0
Arsenal took full advantage of Manchester City's slip-up at Aston Villa to move level on points with the Premier League leaders, beating Everton 2-0 at a rain-soaked Emirates Stadium on Saturday 24 October 2026.
Centre-backs Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães supplied the goals, with Konsa netting his first strike since arriving from Aston Villa and Gabriel making the points safe midway through the second half.
"The wait goes on for David Moyes," wrote the Guardian's match reporter, noting that the Everton manager's 14th visit to the Emirates as the Toffees' boss brought only a 400th career defeat across all competitions — 31 of them against Arsenal, more than against any other opponent.
Konsa ends the set-piece drought
Arsenal had been uncharacteristically poor from set-pieces at the start of the 2026-27 season, failing to score from a dead ball in 12 matches across all competitions (excluding penalties). Their old strength returned in the seventh minute. Gabriel's flick-on from a Martin Ødegaard delivery had Jordan Pickford scrambling — the Everton goalkeeper tipped the ball onto the crossbar before Vitalii Mykolenko's failed clearance, under pressure from Viktor Gyökeres, allowed Konsa to ram home from close range.
Gabriel makes it safe
Ben White's overlapping run and cross from the right found Gabriel at the back post, and the Brazilian rose highest to head into the left side of the goal with 68 minutes on the clock — his 21st Premier League goal and his first that has not come from a set-piece. It was Gabriel's 14th headed goal in the competition, with only Olivier Giroud (27) scoring more headers for Arsenal (Ian Wright also has 14).
This was the first time two Arsenal centre-backs scored in the same game since February 2024, when Gabriel and William Saliba netted in a 6-0 rout of West Ham. It also marked Gabriel's 200th Premier League appearance.
Everton offer little in attack
Everton, without Jarrad Branthwaite (injury/concussion protocols) and Jack Grealish (illness), defended for their lives but offered precious little going forward. David Raya won a one-v-one duel with Thierno Barry at 1-0, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall headed wide from their best late chance. Tyrique George curled wide on the break, while Merlin Röhl's cross almost deceived Raya.
Arsenal, meanwhile, spurned chances through Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, while Mikel Merino nodded over from a Declan Rice free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
Arteta rotates amid Saka blow
Arteta made five changes after the exertions of Wednesday's 2-2 UEFA Champions League draw with Bayern Munich, in which Bukayo Saka suffered a quadriceps/thigh injury that could keep him out until mid-December. Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice maintained their record of starting every Premier League game this season.
With Kai Havertz also vying for the striker role, Gyökeres — yet to score for the club this season — was withdrawn after a laboured display. "Luckily for Arteta, he has defenders who are very capable of threatening in advanced areas," the Opta Analyst noted.
By the numbers
The Gunners were good value for the win, racking up 20 shots and 1.77 expected goals, compared with Everton's eight attempts and 0.48 xG. Arsenal generated 0.79 xG from set-pieces alone.
With both Arsenal and Manchester City winning at least seven of their opening eight matches, this is just the third top-flight campaign to see two teams achieve the feat, after 1892-93 (Preston and Sunderland) and 1913-14 (Blackburn and Manchester United).
Konsa's opener was Arsenal's first set-piece goal (excluding penalties) since May against Crystal Palace, ending a run of 13 games without one.