Arsenal claims Christmas No 1! Arteta expresses ‘belief and confidence’ in title pursuit
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, emphasized that leading the league at Christmas once more gives him both belief and confidence to transform that position into tangible success. For the third time in four years — and the fifth in the history of the competition — the Gunners are at the top of the Premier League table as of December 25, though they have yet to turn this into a championship victory. The 1-0 triumph at Everton, propelled by Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty in the first half, allowed them to regain first place from Manchester City, who had briefly passed them earlier that day.
“It instills belief and confidence in me: the quality of our performance and the consistency we’ve shown,” stated Arteta. “It is quite challenging to maintain this in our league, so it reflects that the team is consistently performing well.
“We relish the journey of winning. We will face tough venues and challenging moments ahead. We’ve navigated through quite a bit already, and we are in a good position.”
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Arteta on Gyokeres taking the penalty: ‘Excellent choice’ Gyokeres’ first goal in six matches came largely thanks to Jake O’Brien’s inexplicable handball and Martin Odegaard opting for him over Bukayo Saka as the penalty taker. Arteta encourages players to take charge of those in-game choices. “Excellent choice. Extremely pleased for him,” he added.
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Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres celebrates after successfully scoring his penalty
“They took responsibility on the pitch, with Martin, Bukayo, and him deciding who would take it, and he coolly slotted the ball into the net. I love when players take responsibility and make decisions independently. (It demonstrated) the confidence of a player who practices diligently every day and is exceptional at it.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League match between Everton and Arsenal.
‘Gyokeres physically challenged’ Jamie Redknapp has suggested that Viktor Gyokeres should not be facing physical challenges at Arsenal to the extent that he currently is, following his summer transfer. Gyokeres scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season to help the Gunners secure a 1-0 victory over Everton and reclaim the top of the Premier League, but he depended on a penalty to find the goal as he continues to struggle in open play. “He (Gyokeres) performed reasonably well. He’s currently facing difficulties. That was his fifth goal this season. It shouldn’t be this way since he has experience in the English leagues, but he seems to be struggling with the physical aspect, considering his size.” “I haven’t seen him win a duel. In terms of his skill and involvement in the game, it hasn’t been sufficient. He’s having a tough time. He needs a boost in confidence. He’s not likely to be a Bergkamp, but he’s a powerful forward who can score goals and contribute significantly. He secured them the victory, but it came from a penalty. You want to see him produce vital goals that can change the outcome. Currently, he’s doing alright. I don’t think you can say much more than that.” Analysis: Is this a positive progression for the underperforming Gyokeres?
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A crucial goal for Arsenal and Viktor Gyokeres, who successfully converted a penalty awarded after Everton’s Jake O’Brien handled the ball in the box.
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz: A lot of the discussions before the match focused on Viktor Gyokeres’ future, as the Swedish forward has not been at his best while encountering competition from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino, and Kai Havertz returning from injury. His latest performance against Everton — where he netted a first-half penalty that clinched the game — raised fewer doubts and seemed more encouraging. The goal was a positive sign, but there were other notable moments. Much has been discussed about his teammates not recognizing his runs, but William Saliba assisted him with a good chance in the first half. In the second half, Leandro Trossard found him for a classic run down the left, allowing him to power through two Everton defenders. This was much closer to the ‘battering ram’ forward the Premier League anticipated — and his three shots on Merseyside exceeded the total he managed in his previous 180 Premier League minutes with Arsenal. The Arsenal players acknowledged the importance of providing him with a goal, and the penalty illustrated that sentiment. It brought to mind October 2023, when the Gunners’ regular penalty takers permitted Kai Havertz to claim a spot kick to secure his first goal for Arsenal. The German ultimately finished the season with 13 goals as Arsenal came within two points of the title. Gyokeres now has five — importantly, it appears that a better rapport is developing with his teammates. Moyes: We have seen penalties awarded for that Gyokeres’ penalty was the decisive factor, though the home side had a legitimate claim for a penalty of their own when William Saliba’s attempted clearance led him to kick Thierno Barry in the second half; however, VAR determined that no foul had occurred. Everton’s manager, David Moyes, took a measured approach in his reaction. “I’m not sure. I’ve replayed it, and I think they mentioned it was insufficient contact,” he commented. “We’ve observed penalties awarded in cases where someone is kicked through their foot or Achilles. It likely should have been considered and could have been awarded, but the fact that VAR didn’t direct him to the screen suggests they felt there wasn’t enough.”
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Arsenal defender William Saliba’s challenge on Everton’s Thierno Barry came under review for a potential penalty – but was ultimately cleared.
‘We’ve seen Barry’s penalty claim given’
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp discussed the decision to deny Everton a penalty after Saliba’s challenge on Barry: “Indeed, we have witnessed such instances leading to penalties. It recalls Joao Pedro for Brighton, with Saliba similarly involved.
“You can see it; Thierno Barry manages to touch the ball with his right foot, and he certainly makes contact.
“You can view Jack Grealish’s reaction. He’s furious. Barry distinctly gets his foot up, and Saliba kicks the back of his heel.
“David Moyes will inevitably express disappointment regarding that call. There have been numerous penalty decisions this weekend, and many worse than this have been given.
“We have VAR, like it or not, and it’s there to intervene. Arsenal got fortunate there.”
Moyes reflected on O’Brien’s lapse in judgment after the defender raised both arms during a corner. “Disappointed with the goal we surrendered. We gifted away a needless penalty,” he remarked. “Considering how close we pushed Arsenal, if they had scored a stunning goal, we could accept it, but it wasn’t; it resulted from our mistake.” Overall, I believed we battled exceptionally hard to secure a result and challenged Arsenal for sustained moments. You couldn’t question the players’ commitment or determination; they were remarkable in those areas. However, in terms of quality, one could raise some questions.”
Published: 2025-12-20 23:38:00
source: www.skysports.com
