Gunners mix style with brawn

THIS was another display of maturity from Arsenal and after another weekend of unconvincing performances from Manchester’s candidates, further evidence that they are the only realistic challengers to Chelsea.

Seven days after losing 1-0 at home to Newcastle, they showed ruthlessness and grit to lay down another marker on their travels, a few weeks on from their comprehensive 3-0 victory at Manchester City with goals from Bacary Sagna and Cesc Fabregas putting them ahead before Tim Cahill pulled one back late on.

Arsene Wenger’s side’s 2-0 defeat at Chelsea remains their only away loss in seven matches, which have brought four victories, in the Premier League.

But it was the authority that set apart this result on a ground where Manchester United chucked away a two-goal lead in injury time in September.

Everton have their problems but this is still a significant three points for Wenger, whose side have not won the league since 2004, as they moved above United into the box seat behind Chelsea who slumped to a shock home defeat to Sunderland just hours after the Gunners had won at Goodison.

They have easily been dismissed in the past but they showed plenty of backbone to establish their advantage yesterday, and even more to hold on to it as they were bombarded in the closing stages.

It has been said before – more than once or twice – but this has to be the season for them to show where their potential can take them and when considered alongside United, it does not take much analysis to see which squad is moving in the right direction.

They have had the swagger for years but now they have the muscle to go with it.

After years of Wenger moaning about other teams, Fabregas is starting to gain a reputation for his own spiky attitude.

Just days after his challenge caused Wolves’ Stephen Ward to leave the field on a stretcher in midweek, the Spaniard’s challenge on Sylvain Distin drew plenty of anger, although the Spaniard probably came off worst.

Asked what he thought of the Fabregas tackle, Wenger puffed out his cheeks for a few seconds and said: “That’s it.”

Even though they conceded to Tim Cahill in the closing stages, few neutrals in the ground really thought Everton could claw back another, as Johan Djourou won header after header in the manner of Steve Bould and Lukasz Fabianski looked comfortable and confident.

City are solid but lack Arsenal’s flair and, to an extent, the same can be said of United but whether the Gunners can become more than just the favourites to finish second will only be decided by how often they can play like this.

David Moyes maintained Arsenal were not particularly good, just that his own team were worse but that was a little harsh on the visitors.

Everton could not claim to not have been warned about Samir Nasri as the Frenchman was sent scampering away down the right from Alex Song’s pass from halfway and made it into the area before Distin came out to block his shot.

The hosts’ best bet seemed to be feeding Seamus Coleman and the Irish youngster outstripped Fabregas with one burst down the right flank before he sent over a wonderful cross that was headed over by Cahill.

But Arsenal took the lead after the hosts stood off Nasri once again. The Frenchman wandered in off the right flank and hit a powerful shot that was palmed away by Tim Howard. Andrey Arshavin picked the ball up on the by-line and pulled back for Sagna to smash a shot inside Howard’s near post from a tight angle.

It was the Frenchman’s second goal since arriving at Arsenal in 2007 and his first since March 2008 but he took it like Ian Wright.

Moyes was angry with the way Arsenal doubled their advantage just after the break, which had seen John Heitinga taken off to avoid a red card and Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere brought off to add more height.

Wilshere’s replacement, Denilson, fed Marouane Chamakh, who somehow guided a ball through to Fabregas for the Spaniard to drill an effort into the corner.

Howard denied Nasri once more and Chamakh should have made it three when he somehow failed to hit the target from just four yards out after he was picked out by a cross from Fabregas.

Moyes responded by throwing on Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu with just over 20 minutes left but Everton’s forward line became cluttered. Fabianski was able to deny a curling effort from Beckford and a drive from Steven Pienaar before Everton managed to pull one back.

Wenger acknowledged that Arsenal were guilty of being too conservative in possession and they paid the price when a looping cross from Leighton Baines was headed down by Louis Saha and turned in by Cahill from close range.

Arsenal held on. Only time will tell if this is just another false dawn.