Player ratings as Sean Dyche makes winning start as Toffees manager

Sean Dyche’s first game in charge of Everton saw his new side beat Premier League leaders Arsenal 1-0 at Goodison Park.

The Toffees dented the Gunners’ title hopes with a spirited and deserved victory on Saturday afternoon.

Despite Arsenal’s early dominance, the first half-sight of goal came through a deflected strike from Dwight McNeil on the counter attack, with Aaron Ramsdale racing off his line to beat Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the loose ball.

Everton caused Arsenal a couple of problems with deep corners inside the opening 20 minutes, with Amadou Onana and James Tarkowski both having headers deflected behind.

Calvert-Lewin’s strike from a tight angle and Onana’s audacious lob from 35 yards were both denied by Ramsdale as the hosts continued to ramp up the pressure.

Arsenal’s first chance of note came when Bukayo Saka managed to wrestle away from Vitaliy Mykolenko and tee up Eddie Nketiah, who sold Tarkowski with a clever feint towards the byline, but fired high and wide from close range.

Everton should have taken the lead when Onana made the most of a mix-up between Ben White and Martin Odegaard, firing a cross right through the six-yard box, but Calvert-Lewin could only get a toe on the ball and a glorious chance went begging.

Seconds later, McNeil’s cross was met by a free Abdoulaye Doucoure, but the ball flashed off his forehead and Arsenal were let off the hook once more.

Conor Coady was on hand to block a volley from Saka off the line before a Calvert-Lewin header from Alex Iwobi’s clever cross bounced just the wrong side of the post at the end of a frenzied first half.

Arsenal looked more like their usual selves after the break. Nketiah managed to work his way from the left channel and into the box, cutting back for Odegaard to fire agonisingly over the bar.

But Everton took the lead just after the hour mark. Another deep corner from McNeil was this time met by Tarkowski, who fought off the challenge of Odegaard to head home the opener.

Appeals for an Arsenal penalty were dismissed when Neal Maupay and Idrissa Gueye were cleared of bringing down Gabriel inside the box, though replays suggested the Frenchman may have tripped the Gunners defender.

Pickford was on hand to deny a deflected strike from Leandro Trossard as Arsenal looked to pull level in the latter stages. Saka’s half-volley sailed into the gleeful crowd behind the goal soon after.

Trossard once more drifted in from the left and curled a shot in with his right foot, though this time it sailed…