{"id":12459,"date":"2025-12-20T22:57:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T22:57:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=12459"},"modified":"2025-12-22T14:43:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T14:43:43","slug":"we-like-evertons-new-stadium-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=12459","title":{"rendered":"We Like Everton\u2019s New Stadium, So Far"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As mentioned in Ned\u2019s excellent preview (it was so good I borrowed the photo from his piece above) this evening saw our first trip to Everton\u2019s shiny new stadium. What did we make of it? We came, we saw, we conquered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For various reasons, not least of which is the short turnaround in games before our Carabao Cup deja vu tie with Crystal Palace in the week, I have decided to do an old-fashioned quick match report of our trip to Everton and hope you will forgive any failings of my aging eyesight or creaking at the grammar or style joints as you wend your merry way through. The errors are all my own <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It looked like a cold, cloudy evening on a noisy Merseyside as the teams emerged \u2013 the Arsenal XI was much as expected\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timber Saliba Hincapi\u00e9 Calafiori<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zubi \u00d8de Rice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka Viktor Leo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bench: Kepa, MLS, Eze, N\u00f8rgaard, Nwaneri, Merino, Martinelli, Madueke, Jes\u00fas, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he traveled with the team, young Salmon was apparently off the menu. Perhaps midweek?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Half<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the usual scrappy stuff to start the game, we passed it around a little, I thought to be honest we seemed like a team searching for a bit of form but we did at least quieten the crowd. Everton then won a couple of corners around 10-15 minutes in and Raya had one of those moments when your keeper comes for it, doesn\u2019t get close, and your heart makes a rapid journey to your mouth. Fortunately, the ball was cleared by I couldn\u2019t see who (Hincapi\u00e9 maybe on the replay) and the danger passed eventually when they wastefully booted the 2nd<\/sup> corner straight out. We got a touch more purposeful after that, Zubi shot over, Viktor nodded an \u00d8de cross just wide and then wanted a penalty for an O\u2019Brien push that truthfully I thought he made the most of but instead just got a corner. But a corner is as good as a penalty for us right? An excellent Rice corner followed, and then in real time I thought Cala had just mistimed it and nodded wide of the Everton net but wait\u2026.. Yes, there on the replay was O\u2019Brien jumping hands above his head to divert it away from the incoming Cala\u2019s beautifully arranged bonce. Inexplicable really, perhaps he thought it was his day after getting away with the push but anyway it was a penalty, clear as day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everton 0 The Arsenal 1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up stepped Viktor, my nerves jangled and I wished hard for him not to miss it, not the report I had any desire to write, but fortunately Viktor is a man of sterner nerve than I and blasted it straight down the middle while the irritating Pickford obligingly dived out of the way. After Viktor\u2019s excellent penalty we set about passing Everton to death for about 10 minutes and though little of note was created, it did serve to draw any sting out of an Everton response to falling behind. Little of note that is unless of course you count the almost inevitable Tarkowski booking. Declan did shoot over and Viktor sniffed for a second but that was about it until just before the break when as we came forward \u00d8de played a ball forward to Viktor on the right, it was just too wide but Viktor got a cross in that Saka nodded wide \u2013 we really needed that the other way round: \u00d8de, Saka and then Viktor with the header at the time. Anyway, I nitpick and the referee then blew the half-time whistle for oranges. So far, so good. Everton had really not been a lot of threat, perhaps they were missing Calvert-Lewin who had already stuck two past Crystal Palace in the night\u2019s other rearranged game<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second Half<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No changes at half-time. The game kicked-off and as you\u2019d expect after a mostly toothless first half Everton tried to push forward, snap into tackles more, claim ludicrous penalties, get the crowd more involved etc. To be fair I did hear The Arsenal fans singing soon after. The Everton attack soon petered out, for the time being\u2026 Viktor then tried to bulldoze through but was just foiled and then a Saka \/ Timber combo set up a decent shooting chance for Bukayo but he unfortunately and uncharacteristically hit the first defender. Everton came forward again then and the game was much open than probably a glowering Mikel on the sidelines wanted. Everton then appealed for yet another penalty as Saliba caught the bottom of Barry\u2019s foot as he attempted to clear \u2013 I was a bit worried, I must admit, as I have certainly seen those given but perhaps Barry\u2019s theatrical fall turned the judges against him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we reached the hour mark I think most of us were probably thinking about subs, however, we had finally started to get a bit of control and after some slick passing, Rice played in Leo on the left, I must admit I thought he had stuck it away but it hit the post and bounced away. Given the season he is having I really thought he was going to score that one and settle the nerves nicely for the remaining half-hour. Jes\u00fas replaced Gy\u00f6keres, I will resist the Christmas pun, and then another scare, this time an injury one as Saka went down. He was ok though (I\u2019m watching you Grealish you oaf) and so were Everton after Zubi hit the same post as Leo. Another chance arrived but unfortunately a Timber \/ Saka mix-up led to one taking the shot off the toe of the other and on we went with our slender one-nil lead. As the half-way point of the half arrived normal control had been resumed and we were managing the Everton challenge far better, Gabi M came on to join Gabi J on 80 minutes as Leo went off and my thoughts wandered unpleasantly to the last 10-15 against Wolves. Would we be as passive again? Actually, no as it turned out and it seems that lesson has thankfully been learned for now. Certainly, Everton huffed and puffed but we never really gave them a clear-cut chance as we saw things through with a noticeably more assertive final 10 minutes, we looked the more likely to score. A last-minute minor scare was cleared by Hincapi\u00e9, who I thought played well, and that was that. Moyes berated the referee for his penalty shortcomings I suppose (the Saliba \/ Barry one at a guess) and The Arsenal and Mikel waved happily to the equally happy-looking travelling faithful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, a very welcome three points for The Gunners and another Christmas No 1. The plaudits must go to the whole team this time as we ground this one out. However, while One-Nil to The Arsenal is always welcome, I don\u2019t think anyone would reasonably argue that it wasn\u2019t a fully deserved three points on the night. Well, I would usually wish you all a Merry Christmas on that note but we have one more wafer-thin mint to be forced down before tucking into our turkey. Yes, next up is the Carabao Cup so see you soon! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As mentioned in Ned\u2019s excellent preview (it was so good I borrowed the photo from his piece above) this evening saw our first trip to Everton\u2019s shiny new stadium. What did we make of it? We came, we saw, we conquered.  For various reasons, not least of which is the short turnaround in games before […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12459"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12464,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12459\/revisions\/12464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}