Arsenal suffered a likely decisive blow to their faint hopes in the Premier League title race as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Everton.
The Gunners were hoping to cut Liverpool’s lead at the top to nine points with victory on their final trip to Goodison Park.
Mikel Arteta’s men looked on their way to achieving that feat when Leandro Trossard fired them into a 34th-minute lead.
However, Iliman Ndiaye’s 49th-minute penalty proved enough to earn Everton share of the spoils, leaving Arsenal 11 points behind Liverpool, who can extend the gap to 14 points with victory at Fulham on Sunday.
Everton v Arsenal
Both sides threatened from set-pieces in the first half without testing either goalkeeper and, instead of a dead-ball delivery, it was a counter-attack that brought the Arsenal opener.
Idrissa Gana Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite went for the same ball, with the former’s header landing kindly for Raheem Sterling, who surged to the edge of the box before laying off for Trossard to arrow across Jordan Pickford and into the bottom-right corner.
Pickford had to be alert to deny Trossard a second in first-half stoppage time as Arsenal controlled matters after breaking the deadlock, with the returning Ndiaye producing Everton’s best moment of the opening period when he bent over the crossbar from long range.
But Everton were gifted a route back into the game when Myles Lewis-Skelly hauled down Jack Harrison inside the area and, despite a long delay for a VAR check, Ndiaye kept his composure to send David Raya the wrong way and level matters.
Chiliman Ndiaye. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/epwIK7ONu4
— Everton (@Everton) April 5, 2025
Abdoulaye Doucoure then drew a smart save from David Raya as Everton looked to turn the game on its head, but Jordan Pickford was required at the other end to punch away a well-struck Declan Rice free-kick following an outstanding run from Lewis-Skelly.
Martin Odegaard should have done better with a close-range chance and Gabriel Martinelli forced Pickford into another diving stop as Arsenal pushed for a late winner.
Mikel Merino then flashed a header wide, and that proved to be the final chance for the Gunners as they failed to keep the pressure on Liverpool, who can firmly be considered as champions-elect if they prevail at Craven Cottage.
Arsenal will at least take heart from a strong finish to the game going into Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg with Real Madrid, but the draw is another result indicative of a season in which they have missed too many opportunities to seriously challenge Liverpool.
