‘Everton can have no complaints about lying rooted in the relegation places’

Phil McNulty, BBC Sport chief football writer

Everton’s struggles continued with a fourth defeat in five Premier League games when they lost tamely at home to Arsenal.

It was all a far cry from the thunderous day at Goodison Park last February when Everton overpowered The Gunners in manager Sean Dyche’s first game in charge.

In this 1-0 defeat, Everton were desperately poor, tame and barely gave Arsenal keeper David Raya any work to do on his Premier League debut for the Gunners after replacing Aaron Ramsdale and can have no complaints about lying rooted in the relegation places.

New striker Beto worked hard but had no service to work with, Everton’s alarming lack of creation and quality sending alarm bells around a subdued Goodison Park.

Everton’s continued life of crisis on and off the pitch seems to have finally sucked any hope out of their fervent fan base who seemed drained of any hope even before kick-off in an ominously subdued Goodison Park atmosphere.

And with owner Farhad Moshiri’s announcement that he has agreed to see his 94.1% share in Everton to American investment fund 777 Partners raising more questions than answers, it is hard to see where this great old club’s troubles will end.

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