Arsenal back on top after claiming win at Everton
Arsenal ensured that it will spend Christmas top of the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 away win over Everton, retaking first place after briefly being deposed by Manchester City, which beat West Ham United 3-0 earlier in the day.
City's win put it on 37 points, one more than the Gunners ahead of their late kick-off, but that lead lasted for only a few hours as Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres scored from the penalty spot midway through the first half after a handball at a corner by Everton's Jake O'Brien.
O'Brien looked like he was trying to rebound a basketball rather than defend a set-piece, going up with both hands above his head, and referee Samuel Barrott had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
The goal settled the visitors and they began to dominate possession, with Gyokeres making a charge down the left early in the second half before he was swallowed up in the box by the Everton defence, while Saka was denied by Jordan Pickford moments later.
A minute later, Everton's Thierno Barry went sprawling in the box after a challenge by Martin Zubimendi but the referee waved away the home side’s appeal for a penalty.
Arsenal should have sealed the win in the 64th minute with a sweeping move but Leandro Trossard smacked his shot off the far post with Pickford beaten.
While Everton did its best to get the ball in the box to force an equaliser, it lacked the guile necessary to breach the visiting defence.
With its next Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion on 28 December (AEDT), the win moved Arsenal to 39 points, two ahead of Manchester City.
The Gunners have a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace to think about before that, though, with that game having been rescheduled to Wednesday 24 December because of fixture congestion affecting both clubs.
Everton, meanwhile, slipped to 10th on the Premier League table on 24 points, behind Brighton on goal difference.
The goal was the first for Gyokeres since he returned from a hamstring injury at the end of November, and the way he blasted home from the spot illustrated how much he wanted to see the ball hit the back of the net.
"It's a few [Arsenal players] that can take it, and this time it was me that took it. It was important to score that one. It was nice," he said.
"You always want to score goals, that's the main target every game for attacking players, that's what we want to do. Today we could've scored a few more but the most important is we won the game."
Gunners boos Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal is only focused on what it can control after reclaiming top spot.
"We are not looking at that," he said.
"The only thing we can control is our own performance and results, and we know how long it's going to be and how tough this league is. That's it. Enjoy every day. Do your best and see what we're going to get.
"[We are] very happy to win here. It's a really difficult place to come.
"In the first half, we had some moments where we were very dominant without really creating much.
"We scored the goal. In the second half, we had three big open chances that if you want to be more relaxed at the end, you have to take those chances in the Premier League.
"You need to enjoy the process of winning and that's going to be hard moments, difficult moments, great moments. That's all part of that intention and how close we are to winning, and that's why we have to enjoy and take it game by game."
