‘Mentally stronger’ Arsenal survive Toffees gut check

Arsenal 2 Everton 1: ARSENAL’S ascent to the top of the Premier League on Saturday evening was greeted with a degree of caution at the Emirates but Arsene Wenger and Olivier Giroud were united in their view about the reasons behind the club’s emerging title challenge.

After a opening period that brought the now familiar criticism of Wenger’s squad-building and offered signs of continuing inconsistency, the Frenchman’s side appear to have hit their stride.

The midweek victory over Bayern Munich, along with the emphatic recent 3-0 victory over Manchester United, confirmed Arsenal’s potential, but the way they responded after their Champions League exertions to beat a determined Everton side hinted at depth of character not always apparent at the Emirates Stadium.