Everton gift leaves Arsenal top of the tree at Christmas

A happy Christmas and a happy anniversary for Mikel Arteta? In part, anyway.

- RICHARD JOLLY

The Arsenal manager can testify from bitter experience that being the Christmas No 1 is no guarantee he will occupy top spot in May. But, six years to the day since his appointment, Arteta overcame a club he represented for six years.

The importance of a largely forgettable affair may be measured in points, or in Arsenal’s immediate response to being demoted to second, or in the identity of the scorer. Arsenal’s spell off the summit only spanned five hours before they leapfrogged Manchester City. After failing to win any of their previous three away league games, this represented a three-point turn in their fortunes on the road. However, it felt more a test in theory than practice, with Everton both depleted and complicit in their own downfall.

For Viktor Gyokeres, the presents came from opponents and colleagues alike. A striker who needed a goal got his first in six games and just a second in 11 after two acts of generosity: from Jake O’Brien to concede a penalty, and his teammates to let him take it. While Bukayo Saka has scored two spot-kicks this season, one with the summer signing on the pitch, Arsenal alternate between takers. “There are a few of us that can take it,” shrugged Gyokeres. He was presented with the ball by Martin Odegaard. “They took ownership on the pitch between Martin, Bukayo and him and made a great decision,” said Arteta, a control freak of a manager was happy to let his players choose.