Arsenal’s slim hopes of winning their first Premier League title in 21 years suffered a setback after a 1-1 draw against Everton on Saturday.
Leandro Trossard gave the Gunners the lead, but Iliman Ndiaye equalized with a penalty, leaving Arsenal still 11 points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand. Liverpool now need just 11 points from their remaining eight matches to secure a record-tying 20th top-flight title.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had hoped that a win against Everton would serve as the best preparation for their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid. However, he appeared to have one eye on that match, making several changes to his starting lineup. Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Jurrien Timber, and Thomas Partey were all left on the bench. Despite missing several key players to injury, Arsenal dominated the first half.
However, it was Everton who struck first. On a rare counter-attack, Raheem Sterling set up Trossard, who scored with a low shot past Jordan Pickford for his first league goal since January.
Arsenal’s title challenge has been hindered this season by a lack of goals, even when players like Havertz and Jesus were available. At halftime, Saka and Martinelli were brought on to provide more attacking threat. Just after the break, however, Everton got back into the game when Myles Lewis-Skelly fouled Jack Harrison in the box, leading to a penalty. Ndiaye calmly converted, sending David Raya the wrong way.
Everton then came close to taking the lead, with Raya making a fine save from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s powerful shot. In the final stages, Arsenal pushed for a winner, with Odegaard and Mikel Merino missing chances to score. Despite Arsenal’s wastefulness, Everton held on for a point.
The draw moved Everton up to 14th in the table, now 15 points clear of the relegation zone, while Arsenal’s title hopes continue to fade.