Arsenal were held to a disappointing goalless draw against lowly Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The grey clouds over north London were reflective of the mood at full-time, as Arsenal again displayed their attacking inefficiency against teams that set up with a low block.
The result gives Everton their first point of the season and Brian Sorensen will take heart from his side’s remarkable defiance in the face of relentless pressure from the hosts who took 15 shots and had nearly 70% of the possession. It was the first time they’ve avoided defeat at Arsenal since 2009, a feat all-the-more impressive considering the two ACL injuries they’ve suffered this season.
The only bright spots for Arsenal in an otherwise disappointing day were the returns of Leah Williamson and Steph Catley, both of whom came on for their first appearances of the season.
United States international Emily Fox nearly gave Arsenal the dream start when her attempted cross from the right caught Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and skimmed the bar.
Arsenal’s build-up play was smooth, with Kim Little in particular, expertly recycling possession and starting moves. But for all their dominance on the ball, the hosts struggled for incision in the final third.
Since last season, the north London side have been gripped by an inability to break down teams that are happy to sit back in their half. It’s a tendency Arsenal fans are all too aware of and their groans became increasingly audible with each move that broke down. A rare foray into the Arsenal half nearly saw Everton nearly take the lead, when a deflected cross from Veatriki Sarri momentarily wrong-footed Daphne van Domselaar, who readjusted quickly to tip it onto the bar.
The second half followed the script of the first, with Arsenal’s desperation growing in conjunction with Everton’s resilience. Frida Maanum, Arsenal’s top-scorer this season, looked their most likely source of a goal and had an attempt saved soon after the restart. Eidevall reconfigured things at the hour mark with a triple change that saw Caitlin Foord, Stina Blackstenius and a returning Williamson come on.
Arsenal were effectively camped in the visitors’ half for the last half-hour but clear cut chances remained at a premium. Foord and Blackstenius went close to grabbing a late winner, but Everton held on for a phenomenal result in north London.
With Chelsea’s game against Manchester United postponed due to their Champions League game on Tuesday, Manchester City made the most of Arsenal’s slip-up by beating visiting West Ham 2-0 to go top on seven points after three games.
Meanwhile, Liverpool scored two brilliant goals at Tottenham Hotspur — a lob by Cornelia Kapocs and a direct free kick from Marie Hoebinger — but also twice put the ball in their own net before a stoppage-time Hoebinger penalty gave them a thrilling 3-2 win, their first in the league this season.
On Saturday, Brighton continued their fine start by coming from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 4-2, but the gloss was taken off another excellent performance after Poppy Pattinson was sent off in second-half stoppage time.
That result leaves Brighton third in the table on six points, behind Chelsea on goal difference, with Manchester United fourth, also on six points, and Liverpool fifth on five.
Despite Everton’s unexpected draw, they still dropped to last place after Crystal Palace beat Leicester City 2-0 later on Sunday, the three points helping the south London side climb past Everton and up to eighth in the 12-team table.
Aston Villa, Leicester and West Ham are also on one point, with Everton bottom as they have yet to score this season.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.