Soccer: Lacazette, Aubameyang help Arsenal edge past Everton

Arsenal broke down a determined Everton defence to win 2-0 on Sunday, with second-half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang giving the Gunners their fourth straight Premier League victory.

Everton had created most of the early chances as they looked for their first victory at Arsenal since January 1996.

Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both fired in a number of shots, the Brazilian in particular leaving Gunners defender Hector Bellerin in his wake repeatedly as he turned and darted towards goal. But both were unable to beat Arsenal keeper Petr Cech, who was determined to register his side’s first clean sheet of the season.

Late in the half, Everton defender Lucas Digne also went close, whipping in a free kick from just outside the area that Cech deftly tipped back over the bar.

Arsenal by contrast seemed to lack a finishing touch despite having two-thirds of the possession, with striker Lacazette often failing to control the ball when passed to.

The Frenchman found his feet just short of the hour mark, however, running in from the left before elegantly curling the ball into the far corner just beyond the reach of outstretched England keeper Jordan Pickford.

Gabon international Aubameyang doubled the lead two minutes later from what appeared to be an offside position, sending Pickford the wrong way from close range.

“A big thanks to Petr Cech because he took a lot of balls today and we won our first clean sheet,” Lacazette told Sky Sports.

The win pushes the Gunners up to sixth in the table with 12 points, six points adrift of leaders Liverpool, while the Toffees stay in 12th place with six points.