Shadow of Real Madrid looms to leave Arsenal with more questions | OneFootball

For one of the more stylish midfielders to grace Goodison Park in recent decades, a farewell to the venue came in the form of a warm-up for a very different test. There was a time when it seemed as though Mikel Arteta may return to Everton as manager. Instead, as Arsenal targeted the unproven Arteta, they were seduced by the glamour of Carlo Ancelotti, meaning a swift volte-face when they withdrew the offer of the job to a certain David Moyes. Now it is Ancelotti and Real Madrid for Arteta.

His Goodison goodbye contained preparation, frustration and a bit more of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s education. A draw renders it still likelier the Premier League title will return to Merseyside, with Liverpool now only requiring another 11 points to make it mathematically certain. But if Arteta’s team selection, with Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli only substitutes, indicated he has the Champions League in mind, he has plenty to consider.

Real are unlikely to be petrified when they study the footage of a stop-start affair, often lacking in intensity, at times without some of Arteta’s premier personnel. But they would surely note the introduction of Bukayo Saka at half-time: after 24 minutes against Fulham, he played 45 at Everton. Will he start against Madrid?

open image in gallery

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka in action against Everton’s Jack Harrison (Action Images via Reuters)

“He is in a much better place,” said Arteta. “We have built that up.”

Will Jakub Kiwior start against the European champions? He got the chance to deputise for the injured Gabriel Magalhaes and, perhaps flatteringly, he was given the man-of-the-match award. Was Kiwior’s selection a case of Arteta revealing his hand or concealing it? Ben White made his first league start since November, lasted an hour at right-back and could play in the middle. “We have alternatives there,” said Arteta.

The safe assumption is that Lewis-Skelly is primed to begin the biggest game of his club career. It continues to be ridiculously eventful. The teenager’s debut campaign has shown huge talent and a propensity to attract the attention of referees. Arsenal’s last game at Goodison came 120 years to the day of the first, and more than a century before Lewis-Skelly was born. His latest indiscretion cost them a valedictory victory even if, not for the first time, Arsenal thought he was wronged. “I have seen it 15 times and in my opinion, there is no way that is a penalty,” said Arteta.

open image in gallery

Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly conceded a penalty in this challenge with Jack Harrison (Reuters)

But a rashness felt apparent when Lewis-Skelly hauled down Jack Harrison just inside the box and with little danger the Leeds loanee would score. Instead, Iliman Ndiaye did, marking his first start since February by rolling in the spot kick.

It was transformative. Until then, Everton’s chances had been limited to two Jake O’Brien efforts from set-pieces. Roused, they almost scored again immediately afterwards, with David Raya denying Abdoulaye Doucoure. Some of the best of Lewis-Skelly came a quarter of an hour later, a slaloming solo run carrying him 60 yards before he was fouled on the edge of the Everton box.

A surge forward by an earlier generation prodigy had led to the breakthrough. Raheem Sterling, making just a fifth Premier League start, looked busier than most but was nevertheless hauled off at half-time as Saka and Martinelli came on. Nor can he get a reward in the Champions League: he is suspended for a silly booking against PSV Eindhoven.

But he advanced to find Leandro Trossard, who nutmegged O’Brien with his shot. It was just Sterling’s second top-flight assist of the season, only Trossard’s fifth goal. Arsenal may have anticipated each tally would be higher. The loss of injured attackers has been compounded by the underwhelming returns of some of the fit.

open image in gallery

Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard scores the opener (Getty Images)

Yet Trossard was lively. Dwarfed by Everton’s giant defenders, his elusive movement rendered him a menace: it took an outstanding block by Jarrad Branthwaite to halt one run. He offered Arsenal a different option in attack. Mikel Merino, back in midfield, almost won it with a late header. There was no dramatic finish, nor the most exciting of starts, with both sides scoring from their belated first shot on target. “We started slowly and sluggishly and made mistakes,” said Moyes. “But the players have shown great resilience.”

“We had two big chances to win the game,” said Arteta. But Arsenal got their 11th draw of the season, Everton their fifth in six matches. With a lone defeat in 11, Moyes has made them fearsomely hard to beat. He has now earned 18 points this season, beating Sean Dyche’s tally of 17. Everton’s 35 should render them safe. “I want to get to 60 or 70 but when I came in, if you had given me 40, I would have taken you out for a drink,” smiled Moyes.

open image in gallery

David Moyes, manager of Everton, acknowledges the fans (Getty Images)

He has made Goodison a fortress again, one that Arteta will miss. “The Premier League has a reputation all over the world for places like Goodison Park,” said the former Everton midfielder. Going to Bramley-Moore Dock, he said, is “going to be very strange”.

But first, Real Madrid. “One of the most beautiful games you can play in football,” added Arteta. His last match at Goodison contained more graft than beauty, but now decisions await.