Arsenal Beat Everton 2-0 as Konsa and Gabriel Move Them Level With City

Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at Emirates Stadium in London on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in Premier League Matchday 8 of the 2026-27 season. Ezri Konsa put Arsenal ahead in the seventh minute and Gabriel Magalhaes added the second goal with a header in the 68th minute. and the win moved Arsenal level on 21 points with Manchester City at the top of the table.

City lost 2-1 at Aston Villa earlier on Saturday, and that defeat left Arsenal with the chance to match City on points. NBC Sports reported before this match that City stood at seven wins, no draws and one loss with a goal difference of plus 11, while Arsenal stood at plus 5 through seven games. The 2-0 win takes Arsenal to plus 7, so City stay ahead on goal difference even though the two clubs now share the same points total.

An early goal from a corner

Konsa scored the opening goal seven minutes into the match. NBC Sports described the play this way: Martin Odegaard sent a corner to the near post, Gabriel headed the ball across goal, Jordan Pickford flailed at it, and Konsa pushed the ball over the line. It was Konsa's first goal for Arsenal.

NBC Sports reported that it was Arsenal's first goal from a corner kick this season. Sports Mole, citing OptaJoe, reported that it was Arsenal's first set piece goal in all competitions, excluding penalties, since May of last season, a run of 13 games without one.

Gabriel scores after an injury scare

Gabriel had left the field for treatment after a leg injury scare in the second half, NBC Sports reported, and he returned to the game before he scored. His goal came in the 68th minute. Ben White ran onto a through ball and clipped a cross toward the back post, and Gabriel leaned back to snap a header past Pickford.

Everton played without Jack Grealish, who was absent from the matchday 18 because of illness, according to the NBC Sports team news. Everton started with Pickford in goal, a back line of Rohl, Tarkowski, O'Brien and Mykolenko, Garner and Armstrong in midfield, and Dewsbury-Hall, Johnson and George behind Barry.

Everton's best late chance came in the 82nd minute. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall won a glancing header from a James Garner cross and put it just wide of David Raya's far post, The Times live blog reported, and NBC Sports carried the same chance. Arsenal held on through eight minutes of added time. The full time report recorded Arsenal outshooting Everton by 20 shots to 7.

Arsenal win without Saka

Arsenal played this match without Bukayo Saka. Saka went off inside the opening 10 minutes of Wednesday's 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayern Munich with a quad injury. At his Friday press conference, manager Mikel Arteta said the injury could reportedly keep Saka sidelined for at least two months, pending more scans and specialist opinions.

"We need a few more scans and opinions from the specialists," Arteta said, in the report carried by theScore. He also said: "Obviously when a player has to walk off the pitch, he is struggling to walk without any pain, his movement is restricted, they are not good signs."