Premier League - Van Persie snatches point

Eurosport - Thu, 29 Jan 11:15:00 2009

Robin van Persie volleyed a stunning stoppage-time equaliser as Arsenal salvaged a 1-1 draw against Everton at Goodison Park.

2008-2009 Arsenal Robin van Persie - 0

Makeshift striker Tim Cahill had earlier headed Everton in front with his 100th goal in English football.

A win would have moved David Moyes's side to within two points of the fifth-placed Gunners, but the Toffees' assault on the Champions League places was derailed by a moment of brilliance from Van Persie (pictured), who flashed his volley past Tim Howard from a tight angle.

On a dank, misty evening at Goodison Park, neither side did much to lift the gloom in the first hour.

Arsenal looked a pale shadow of their normal selves, barely mustering a single worthwhile effort on goal until Van Persie's 92nd-minute intervention.

Everton welcomed Marouane Fellaini back after suspension and Mikel Arteta returned following a rib injury.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger restored several of the leading players rested for Sunday's FA Cup game against Cardiff, while Gael Clichy came back following a ban.

The Toffees have coped admirably with their injury crisis, pressing Cahill into emergency action up front to good effect.

Despite the Australian's knack for telling interventions, Cahill supported by the gangly Fellaini will never go down as one of the Premier League's classic one-two punches and their first-half performance reflected this lack of attacking firepower.

After a brief flurry of early activity, Arsenal were pinned back into the their own half and could hardly get a kick.

So often they have played keep-ball as their opponents retreat further and further back; this time it was Arsene Wenger's team chasing shadows and hitting aimless long clearances back to the opposition.

The problem was, as far as Everton were concerned, they created no genuine goalscoring chances. The closest they came was when the overlapping Leighton Baines crossed low from the left and Fellaini's close-range effort was deflected for a corner.

At the other end, all Arsenal had to show for their first-half endeavours was a Denilson shot that went a yard wide from the edge of the box.

In increasingly murky conditions, the game was both difficult to see and difficult to watch.

Chances came at no less of a premium after the break. Cahill fired into the side-netting but soon afterwards broke the deadlock via a familiar, aerial route.

Baines crossed from the left and Cahill rose high above Clichy, heading past the helpless Manuel Almunia with total authority.

Cahill's ability in the air is well-known, but nobody seems able to stop him getting forehead on ball. Much more of this and teams will have to start double-marking him.

Van Persie glanced a header goalwards from the edge of the box but it was straight at Howard, while Cahill volleyed at Almunia from 25 yards.

The Australian's evening ended on a low note as he limped off three minutes from time, and Everton fans will pray the curse that has afflicted strikers Yakubu, Louis Saha and James Vaughan has not also brought down Cahill.

Then came the unexpected twist as Arsenal, who had offered nothing, snatched a point with a strike from Van Persie that looked more like it belonged in the Marco van Basten scrap book.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

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  1. Everton was brilliant, it was like watching Arsenal vs Bolton.( playing vry hard & physical, trying to jump on every ball). but this is expected especially when Arsenal did'nt play well. Anyway the character of a good side is ,if you don't play well, try and win or get a point. there is stll 15 more games to play. lets not forget that Hull city was 3rd earler and Man utd 11th. this is football... It is not over until it is over.

    From chuka, on Thu 29 Jan 9:04PM

  2. Talking about the game, Everton was brilliant, it was like watching Arsenal vs Bolton. but this is expected especially when Arsenal did'nt play well. Anyway the character of a good side is ,if you don't play well, try and win or get a point. there is stll 15 more games to play. lets not forget that Hull was 3rd earler and Man u 11th. this is football.

    From chuka, on Thu 29 Jan 8:58PM

  3. It is very intresting how people compare teams like Villa and Everton with Arsenal. They should check the records properly, Arsenal has won more games with these two sides. over 150 games, not to talk of the draws. Check the FIFA rating of top clubs in the world. then you will understand. With all due respect to Villa and Everton, these are two great football clubs no doubt. But right now Arsenal is Bigger, classy and plays better football. Football is about skills, style, temprament,co-ordination and most of all Entertainment... 'cause that's what we pay to watch. sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. that's why it is called 'Game'. But the difference is at the end of the season how many games you win, draw and loose. the big teams will allways triumph, Please Check the records. thanks all....

    From chuka, on Thu 29 Jan 7:52PM

  4. It is very intresting how compare teams like Villa and Everton with Arsenal. They should check the records properly, Arsenal has won more games with these two sides. over 150 games, not to talk of the draws. Check the FIFA rating of top clubs in the world. then you will understand. With all due respect to Villa and Everton, these are two great football clubs no doubt. But right now Arsenal is Bigger, classy and plays better football. Football is about skills, style, temprament,co-ordination and most of all Entertainment... 'cause that's what we pay to watch. sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. that's why it is called 'Game'. But the difference is at the end of the season how many game you win, draw and loose. the big teams will allways triumph, Please Check the records. thanks all....

    From chuka, on Thu 29 Jan 7:49PM

  5. brilliant goal by van persie! i think he's one of the best strikers in the world. what we need is a) less injured players b) better defenders than djourou, i dont think he's good enought jet to play EPL and CL. maybe in few years. maybe we should sign an other GK. almunia isn't world class.
    with arshavin, fab, walcott, nasri we'll have got a world class midfield. the EPL title is far away, but in CL we can reach a lot.

    From cafe_ade, on Thu 29 Jan 4:01PM

  6. maguirejj1, while i understand your frustration, I also believe that considering the wealth of the clubs above you the position Arsenal finds itself in is not a bad one.
    with a third of the season left I am sure that they will rise above Villa and maybe even liverpool to qualify for champions league football next season as it would be a great shame to not have their experience and style representing British clubs in that competition.
    As for the Premiership, I'm sure the return to fitness of some of your casualties and the possible signing of Arshavin plus the fans getting behind the manager and team will lead to a resurgence in the team and an improvement in fortunes.

    From HOVAbyte, on Thu 29 Jan 10:38AM

  7. Cahill,Tim cahill-this man is very amazing when it comes to the aerial balls!!he is very clever in escaping from the defenders even you tight him with a glue!!!In attacking midfields he is a runner up for Lampard....!!differnt is that he scores with header while lamps use legs,thats all

    From EMANUEL, on Thu 29 Jan 9:50AM

  8. Cahill,Tim cahill-this man is very amazing when it comes to the aerial balls!!he is very clever in escaping from the defenders even you tight him with a glue!!!In attacking midfields he is a runner up for Lampard....!!differnt is that he scores with header while lamps use legs,thats all

    From EMANUEL, on Thu 29 Jan 9:47AM

  9. chrisvic d, Youre a crack baby

    From HOVAbyte, on Thu 29 Jan 9:43AM

  10. HOVAbyte Yes I am an Arsenal fan and am entitled to have an opinion. If you watched us every week you would realise there are fundamental problems at the club and would respect my views. I think United are a great side and wonder what would happen if they found themselves in the position arsenal are presently in? I am not asking millions and millions to be spent I am asking where the 1700 quid a year i pay for a season ticket gioes when we lost to teams like Hull and Stoke and where that investment I make in to the club is being spent?

    From maguirejj1, on Thu 29 Jan 9:42AM

  11. maguirejj1 I didn't say i was an Arsenal fan.
    Read my post. I said I was a Man United Fan who admires Arsenals style of play.

    The only thing that holds Arsenal back is that they don't have the wealth of Man United or Chelsea to pay over inflated prices on good players.
    Luckily for you Wenger has been smart enough to pick a selection of young players who have the potential for great things at responsible prices afforded to him by the owners. Eventually the experience of these players will come good just as it did with your 'invincibles' who Wenger made and not the other way round

    but hey,Its sounds like your'e not an Arsenal fan eithier.
    and if you want to get rid of the manager then who do you suggest replacing him with?
    I'm sure Rafa Benitez will soon be looking for work.
    Thats a manager who deserves critism from his fans, not Wenger who has changed boring boring Arsenal into a well run, respected and succesful club.
    The only time he should leave the Managers chair is for a move upstairs to the boardroom

    From HOVAbyte, on Thu 29 Jan 9:37AM

  12. The need for a player in the mould of Arshavin is dire at the Emirates Stadium....though am not saying it would be guarantee that the league title will be back in sight, no!

    From Adeleke, on Thu 29 Jan 8:49AM

  13. I really think Arsene should go for Arshavin, 15 million pounds is Okay. Pls buy this player or it will be disaster for Arsenal. i hope we get a silverware this season. Wenger should try to be using Vela because for me that boy is better than bentner. In Arsene we trust. all you Arsenal fans out there dont give up cos its a fight to finish.

    From rovers_4d, on Thu 29 Jan 8:41AM

  14. HOVAbyte if you were a proper arsenal fan and attended games then you would know the under current of what is happening in the crowd and with fans, yes wenger has been successful but has failed to build on this he had been at the club 6 years before the invincibles more than enough time to undertake this master plan he currently going on about. we released or sold 3 players this summer and brought in one, simply not enough for a team who play 60 games a season. We are predictable to play against and have no plan b. we have no leaders on the pitch and no bottle, football is real time at the level arsenal are at and there can be no 5 year plan as dropping out of the champions league would lose the club 80 million quid.

    From maguirejj1, on Thu 29 Jan 8:30AM

  15. ha ha gooners wannabe champions struggling to get back into top 4 ..i think arseole whinger will be off in the summer..to a top 4 team probaly villa.

    From tony, on Thu 29 Jan 8:27AM

  16. maguirejj1,
    youre not a real arsenal fan if youre calling for one of your most successful managers to go. Wenger Can only work with the funds he has available so calling for him to sign 3 now 2 later and pull another 5 out of his a$%e is inprobable.
    The only thing that Arsenal are lacking is the experience that time will bring and maybe a little belief in themselves.
    And I say that as a Man United fan but an admirer off the way Arsenal play football

    From HOVAbyte, on Thu 29 Jan 8:22AM

  17. Dont know about the rest of you but I think Wenger has run out of ideas. He's had a good run but its time for him to go. He is f**king killing the club.He has to BUY PLAYERS. And I dont mean 15 /16 year olds either

    From Igoh B. Owhonda-Wopara, on Thu 29 Jan 8:21AM

  18. WENGER OUT his time at Arsenal has come to an end, i'm sick of his stupid comments saying the fab 4 will be like 4 new signings they were all fit last season and bottled it! he should have signed 3 players in the summer and the bolstered with a couple in january.

    From maguirejj1, on Thu 29 Jan 7:58AM

  19. POST;54 Your comparison is poor. how do u compare liverpool, arsenal with man united?its good u believe, which is correct that manchester are going to win ageinst everton, and all you need to defend our foolishness is by expecting to critisize officials, red card are always for bad tackles, and with c.ronaldo, berbetov, carick, gigs, tevez, tosic, park, are very hard to contain unless you put hard tackles whivch is to gumble as well, sometimes you go with it, other times you get matching orders, but with the other two, you dont need to tuckle hard, coz they are harmless.

    From HUSSEIN, on Thu 29 Jan 7:23AM

  20. SALVAGE A POINT, having a larf.
    Everton are a damn good side and hard to beat for any team. Everton are far better and Arsenal far weaker than the 4-0 drubbing last time.
    This was a good result for both teams.... and football.

    From El-Tony., on Thu 29 Jan 7:22AM
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