Everton 1-1 Arsenal: Leandro Trossard ends scoring drought but Gunners title aspirations dashed in Goodison Park stalemate

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Everton 1-1 Arsenal: Leandro Trossard breaks scoring drought, but Gunners’ title hopes fade in Goodison Park draw

By Mohamed Moallim

Published: 14:45, 5 April 2025

As the 2024-25 season nears its conclusion, Liverpool are on the verge of winning a 20th top-flight title, with Arsenal’s hopes of challenging the Reds slipping away after their 1-1 draw at Merseyside rivals Everton earlier today.

Mikel Arteta’s team, who have played one extra match, are 11 points adrift of Liverpool, meaning a win over Fulham tomorrow would see the Reds extend their lead to 14 points. They need just eight points from their remaining seven fixtures to secure the title. Third-placed Nottingham Forest could close to within two points of Arsenal with a victory against Aston Villa later today.

With a Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid approaching (the first leg at the Emirates on Tuesday), Arteta could be forgiven for rotating his squad—key players Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, and Bukayo Saka started on the bench but came on after halftime—and it nearly paid off as Arsenal led 1-0 at the break thanks to Leandro Trossard, only to concede immediately after the restart when Iliman Ndiaye scored from the penalty spot.

Raheem Sterling and Leandro Trossard, both returning to the starting XI, linked up to put the visitors in front after a breakdown in communication between Idrissa Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite. Branthwaite was taken out of the play as Gueye’s header fell to Sterling, who surged into the Everton half and passed to Trossard, who calmly slotted the ball past Pickford from the edge of the box.

Trossard, known for being two-footed, scored a fine goal with his supposedly weaker foot, ending a nine-match Premier League goal drought. Sterling, with three assists in two games, provided both assists in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with PSV Eindhoven.

Six of Trossard’s last nine Premier League goals have given Arsenal the lead, with the previous five being match-winners. Additionally, he is the first Arsenal player to score in back-to-back seasons at Goodison Park since Alexis Sánchez in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

After the break, concentration was key, but Lewis-Skelly lost out in a physical challenge with Jack Harrison, ultimately fouling him. Referee Darren England took a moment before awarding a penalty. Both Michael Dawson and former referee Mike Dean deemed the decision “soft” on Soccer Saturday. “There’s a bit of contact outside and a little bit inside,” Dean remarked. “I think it’s a soft one. It’s probably not wrong, but it’s a soft one.”

VAR confirmed the penalty. Iliman Ndiaye, calm and composed, converted to score his seventh Premier League goal of the season, the highest tally for any Everton player. Despite a long wait before taking the spot kick, Ndiaye confidently beat Raya. He has scored four goals in his last five Premier League starts, more than his total of three in his first eighteen matches in the competition.