A Big Win: Five Key Takeaways After Arsenal Win At Everton To Top Premier League At Christmas 

Here's Gooner Fanzine print columnist Charlie Ashmore on Arsenal being top at Christmas 

1  - That was a big win….

Make no mistake we came in to this game under pressure – pressure from our own away form with points dropped in the least three games and pressure from the Manchester City machine which has scarred us in the past and comfortably overtook us in the league earlier in the day. 

Our recent record at Everton, albeit at a different ground, was poor and our performances coming into this game had shown some worrying signs.  So to win relatively comfortably ( I can’t remember any team having 0.0xG in a half of football in the Premier League) was a successful day’s business. 

Was it a great performance? In patches we looked very good but overall it was not at the level we have shown earlier in the season but it was enough. 

A very good three points – that’ll do nicely.

2 - We look good when we attack at pace

The good patches in the game typically came when we took the game to the home side, moved the ball at pace and drove at and through or around them. 

There is surely a lesson to be learned here. 

Too often the play is pedestrian and allows the opposition to regroup in numbers.  It is an obvious truth that the best moment to defeat a low block is when the blocking team are out of position so let’s see a lot more of this please – win the ball and drive at them before they get back into their defensive shape and lines. 

It’s so obvious, surely the players on the pitch and the coaches on the sidelines know it so why do we not see as much of it as we would like?

3 - A one goal lead  is no longer a certainty, so let’s double up

 If the last few weeks have told us anything, it is that, especially when we do not have our first choice centre half pairing available, we cannot rely on holding out with a one goal lead.

It’s costs us points already this season, it nearly cot us at home to Wolves and while Everton never really looked like scoring, the fact is we are only ever one mistake away from losing our lead. 

I didn’t think the William Saliba incident was a pen (or certainly not enough of one for Var to overrule the ref) but I have seen them given.  If the decision went the other way that could have been another two points gone so while holding on for a 1-0 win is pleasingly retro, it feels unnecessary given the quality we have and adds stress where it perhaps can be avoided.

4 - Gyokeres takes a mean penalty

Although Jordan Pickford went the right way he had no chance whatsoever.  Hard and high and pretty much unstoppable that was not the penalty of a man lacking in confidence. 

It is possible of course that it was a case of muscle memory trumping nerves but it didn’t feel like that.  It looked and felt like a man who knows his business. 

The celebration was not that of a man feeling crushing pressure – it was that of a man who was simply doing his job. 

I like the fact that Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were secure enough in their belief in him to give him the penalty.  It is a really positive sign.  But he needs to do more in open play.  He has to find a way of holding the ball up and bringing others into the game – too often a ball to him is a ball lost. 

I can’t help feeling he needs to focus more on the ball than the man and currently he is doing too much of the latter. 

Focus on gathering the ball and let the defender try and get it off him and I suspect he will have greater success.

5 - Lovely to see Jesus back

Gabi has been a bit of a forgotten man since January when he was in such good form before picking up the injury.

It is easy to forget just how good a footballer he is and his availability will undoubtedly relieve some pressure from Gyokeres as well as taking minutes off him.  It is a long time since he joined us and helped lift the team’s level to new standards. 

Some felt the signing of Gyokeres signalled the end for Gabi but this season has shown that we will need to use all of our options before the end of the season if it is to be a successful one.  

Welcome back Gabi – and what an appropriate time of year for Jesus to be making a reappearance!

Paying tribute to Steve Ashford, AKA Highbury Spy ?? Getcha Gooner: Issue 314 out now ? pic.twitter.com/u20il0ZsDe

— The Gooner (@GoonerFanzine) December 22, 2025