Premier League

January 9, 2010

Full-time

Arsenal

2 - 2

Everton

Premier League

15:00 GMT, January 9, 2010

Emirates Stadium, England

Referee: Peter Walton

Rosicky rescues Gunners

Scoring Summary

Arsenal Everton
Tomas Rosicky (90')Leon Osman (12')
Leon Osman (og 28')Steven Pienaar (81')

Substitute Tomas Rosicky snatched a crucial point for Premier League title chasers Arsenal as they drew 2-2 against a battling Everton side at a snowy Emirates Stadium.

• Kevin Palmer on Donovan's debut

• Wenger: Point gained for Arsenal

Leon Osman headed the visitors into a deserved lead after 12 minutes. However, the midfielder then deflected Denilson's shot past Tim Howard as the Gunners levelled before the break.

Steven Pienaar's breakaway goal looked to have won it with eight minutes to go, only for Rosicky to grab a crucial strike in added time as Arsenal cut the deficit on leaders Chelsea down to three points.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had called on his team to maintain the momentum which has dragged them right back into the title rave with five wins from six but it was Everton who made the better start.

Louis Saha had got ahead of the defence on the right but blasted over.

It was no surprise when the visitors took the lead as Osman headed in a corner from Landon Donovan, the United States international making his debut after a loan move from Los Angeles Galaxy.

Wenger's youngsters faced another test of character and looked for an immediate response. However, Everton dropped men back to crowd midfield.

Arsenal were, though, level after 28 minutes. Denilson charged down a clearance and the ball fell to Andrey Arshavin on the edge of the penalty area.

The Russian fed Eduardo, who touched a pass back to the Brazilian, and his low strike took a wicked deflection off Osman to wrong-foot Howard.

Despite getting themselves back into the match, Arsenal looked anything but comfortable when defending around their own penalty area.

Manuel Almunia failed to collect a deep cross, which Tim Cahill almost headed in.

Everton captain Phil Neville then chipped his angled effort onto the roof of the net.

The conditions worsened as the second half started.

Donovan weaved his way into the Arsenal penalty area and was unfortunate to see a curling shot drift wide.

As the hour mark approached, the weather - which caused the postponement of the midweek match here against Bolton - showed no signs of improvement.

Arshavin cut into the right side of the Everton box and drew Howard, but the Everton keeper did well to recover to claw the ball away.

Saha latched onto a stray pass and charged goalwards, before his 20-yard shot was deflected behind.

Bacary Sagna's deep cross from the right was just too far ahead of both Rosicky - on for Aaron Ramsey - and Arshavin, arriving at the far post.

Armand Traore flashed a left-wing cross through the six-yard box, before Denilson struck a 20-yard effort over.

Both teams made further changes with 15 minutes left as Eduardo was replaced by Carlos Vela and Everton sent James Vaughan on for Saha.

Abou Diaby hacked clear after Cahill broke into the left side of the Arsenal box before Arshavin did the same at the other end, with his shot blocked at the near post.

Everton, though, snatched what looked to be a late winner when Pienaar raced onto a pass from Cahill to chip Almunia with eight minutes left.

Vaughan could have made the game safe when clean through, but this time Almunia saved.

Denilson, just returned from a back problem, had to be taken off on a stretcher after collapsing in the build up to the Everton attack. Fran Merida came on.

Arsenal threw plenty forward during the closing stages and were rewarded in stoppage time when Rosicky smashed home a close-range shot which deflected off Lucas Neill.

  • Wenger: Point gained for Arsenal

    Arsene Wenger accepted Arsenal were lacking a cutting edge against Everton, but believes the 2-2 draw was a point gained at a snowy Emirates Stadium.

    ''We played against a very good Everton team who for most of the game was more dangerous and sharper than us,'' he said. ''At the end of the day we dropped two points, but looking at the game we gained one point because we were closer to losing the game than to winning it.

    ''We got the point because we had the spirit and the desire, but we didn't find our game today. We had problems technically and because Everton stopped us from playing and in midfield they were dominant.''

    Wenger accepted Rosicky's late strike, which deflected in off Lucas Neill, could yet prove crucial come the end of the season. He said: ''It is an important goal because it shows the spirit of the team right until the last minute.

    ''With three minutes to go Everton had three or four corners and we didn't get out of the box. At that time I would have signed for a point. But we kept going and in the end we got that point which rewards the efforts we produced. We didn't produce the quality we are used to in our team play, we were a little bit flat, but the spirit was there.''

    Toffees boss David Moyes, whose side are now unbeaten in six league games, said: ''There are one or two shouting at each other in the dressing room as we have to be more ruthless. Against Arsenal you have to take the chances. But the performance was terrific.

    ''We have played well in the last few weeks, but it's the point about being ruthless. We should have won at Sunderland and we're not quite finishing as well as we should be. We had a chance at 2-1 and then can you see the game out against a good Arsenal team?''

    Moyes was full of praise for Pienaar's finish, the South African chipping Manuel Almunia as he raced clear on goal.

    The Everton boss said: ''If it was (Thierry) Henry or (Dennis) Bergkamp, you boys would be writing about it for days. It was a terrific finish, and fitting for the place he tried it, because so many Arsenal players in the past would have done that.''