Arsenal rediscover magic touch at corners as Ezri Konsa and Gabriel punish wasteful Everton and move Gunners level at top with Man City

A well-worn Arsenal blueprint from previous seasons had finally resurfaced. It was only a matter time before Mikel Arteta’s team of 6ft-plus giants would, inevitably, turn to set-pieces; the rich supply method of goals which previously often decided or prised open matches.

Having not scored from a corner so far this season, the ploy was back, and emphatically so. Odegaard’s floated corner on seven minutes — Arsenal’s third in quick succession — reached Gabriel in the mix, who headed goalward.

The ball gently brushed Jordan Pickford’s fingertips onto the crossbar, falling to Ezri Konsa near the back post amid a sea of Everton bodies. He prodded home to register the Gunners first set-piece goal of the season.

By this stage last season, they were already on six and finished the campaign on a record-breaking 19. Rivals branded them ‘Set Piece FC’ but it’s not been heard around these parts since May.

To their credit, the Gunners were dominant. Whether a rain-sodden Arteta was trying to mount a defence against the recent ‘Unwatchables’ accusations after last weekend’s drab victory against Nottingham Forest, his team certainly made a mockery of that jibe.

The north London club typically found themselves camped outside the opposition’s box, trying to force their way through a low block and peppered their visitors goal with 18 shots.

Gabriel sealed victory for Arsenal with a second-half header

Gabriel rose highest to connect with a Ben White cross to score his first of the season

The Toffees hadn’t surrendered, keen to mount counter-attacks through the pacey Thierno Barry but were overwhelmed by a relentless red-and-white wave. Gabriel, making his 200th appearance, typified Arsenal’s resilience.

Having gone down in agony on 56 minutes after overstretching himself on a clearance, the medical team helped usher the Brazilian off the field. Cristhian Mosquera began to ready himself on the bench.

Gabriel saw this and did some stretches on the touchline, making it known he would not be subbed off. Ten minutes after re-entering the pitch, he latched onto Ben White’s cross to double Arsenal’s lead with a powerful header.

There’s a never-say-die spirit in this team, which makes them so hard to beat. Arteta had rung the changes, bringing in Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino for their first Premier League starts of the season.

The manager is also taking rotation seriously, too. In the previous campaign, certain positions were pretty much fixed, no matter the circumstances. Martin Zubimendi started 34 of the 38 league matches but was, tellingly, on the bench again here. This time around, Arteta has shown a willingness to give players a break where possible. It’s a sensible and needed evolution for the Spaniard; if Bukayo Saka’s recent thigh injury wasn’t a warning sign, then not much else would be.

Arsenal got off to a rampant start, taking no mercy against an Everton side who had only lost once in the league this season. Noni Madueke, a player whose end product had been under scrutiny, impressed with his dribbling skill and intent. He marched forward, only looking in one direction — forward.

He’s a handful to deal with when full of confidence and, after starting the 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich midweek, Madueke was in full flow.

Ezri Konsa had opened the scoring for the Gunners from a corner

The winger sat an Everton player down on the turf with a swift pivot, his neat cross to Gyokeres desperately cleared. On another occasion, he swivelled just outside the area, before shooting into the side netting.

Odegaard played the conductor role, looking for sharp passes through the opposition’s backline. Five minutes before the break, five Everton shirts circled him, the Norwegian using his dancing feet to get around and go close with his strike.

Eberechi Eze attracted applause for a neat touch from a sky-high ball, which was to be superseded by Max Dowman’s introduction on 80 minutes. The memories of his match-saving display last March against the Toffees, featuring a game-changing cross and a goal, has not been forgotten.

By the time Gabriel’s goal went in, the game was already meandering to a close. Merlin Rohl’s cross momentarily gave David Raya a scare, the ball just curling high and wide from the goalframe. That mattered not. Set-pieces are back on the Arsenal table. Future opponents ought to be wary.