Everton are hot on the heels of Champions League football after beating 4th placed Arsenal 3-0 at Goodison Park this afternoon. Goals from Steven Naismith, Romelu Lukaku and Mikel Arteta (OG) put Everton just a point behind Arsenal in the race for top 4, with a game in hand.
Roberto Martinez’s team were in control for the majority of the game, with the opening goal coming just 14 minutes in from Naismith before Lukaku added the second about 20 minutes later.
Arsene Wenger was reluctant to change things around at half time, a mistake that proved costly as Everton sealed the points with half an hour left when ex-Toffee Mikel Arteta put the ball into his own net. After the 3rd Everton were in complete control and stated their intent on grabbing that 4th place come the end of the season.
Winning manager Roberto Martinez spoke to the press after the game,
“We knew if got three points today then it would leave us with 63 points, but we have still got another 18 points to play for.
“If from here we don’t pick up any points then we won’t achieve our aim. Yes it was a great win and a great psychological boost, but the nature of this league is to be ready from game to game. But today is a good memory for Everton and we’re very proud of that performance.”
With an easier looking run-in than Everton, Arsenal will be hoping they can recover from this setback, with their title chances now long gone. Everton will be focused on claiming that 4th place, but know that they still have a home game against title contenders Manchester City to come, a game that, come the end of the season, may not just impact their own season, but city rivals Liverpool as well.
By Ben Kelly
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