Odegaard and Arteta react after Arsenal loss to Everton - It wasn’t good enough.

Rafael Benitez's team responded with a much-improved display that showed the character and resilience.

FT: Everton 2-1 Arsenal

Demarai Gray scored the winning goal at Goodison Park in what was an enthralling encounter between Arsenal and Everton [Sky Sports Screen Shot]

Martin Odegaard's first-half strike looked as if it might settle the contest before Richarlison, finally, levelled after his two goals were ruled out for offside.

Arsenal registered their sixth defeat of the campaign after Everton came from behind to beat them 2-1 at Goodison Park. The win on Monday night was Everton’s first win in nine games as the Merseyside club ended their poor run of results. Richarlison thought he had broken the deadlock in the 44th minute, but his goal was ruled out for offside, and moments later Gunners midfield ace Martin Odegaard finished of Kieran Tierney's cross as the first-half ended 1-0 to the awayside. In the second half, Rafa Benitez’s side showed character and resilience as they huffed and puffed but found it difficult to score.

Richarlison’s first-half strike was ruled out for offside. (Sky Sports Screen Shot)

Richarlison was denied once more by VAR just before the hour mark, after he again thought he'd beaten goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, only to see he was offside. But, there was no stopping the Brazil forward as he eventually headed home the leveller in the 79th minute after the ball rebounded off the cross bar. This was before Demarai Gray's superb injury-time strike earned Everton a vital win after they a week in which they were thrashed by local rivals Liverpool and director of football Marcel Brands left the club. The win means Everton move up to 12th spot in the English top flight table, eight points above the relegation zone, while Mikel Arteta’s side sit in seventh spot, one point behind Manchester United and two behind Spurs in sixth.

'It wasn't good enough'

Arsenal manager Arteta speaking told Sky Sports: "In the first half we were very inconsistent with the ball. I didn't like it. No penetration. One of the few times we did it we scored. Second half we tried to do more of those things, created four big chances but conceded a very sloppy goal when you need to manage the game. "We couldn't take the ball into the final third. They're not going to give you time, at Goodison you know what to expect. I think the team tried to go, we kept pressing high. We lost a few important duels that put us some pressure." When quizzed on whether Everton's Ben Godfrey should have been sent off, he replied: "That decision was made, I'm sure VAR reviewed it. What I want is more from my team. Today you have the game under control even though you're not playing your best and you have to find a way to win it. The way we conceded the goal and losing this match is not something good. "It could have been very different but we haven't managed to do it. When the opponent is there for the taking you have to do it and we haven't. It wasn't good enough."

'It's hard to take - we stopped playing'

Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard added: "It's a hard one to take. I think in general we were not at the level we needed to be at today.

Odegaard scored his third Premier League goal of the season at Goodison Park

"We had some good moments but we have to do much better. We should have been better. "It's hard to say. That's just how it is sometimes. It's hard to say exactly what happened. We have to do better when we have that lead. We stopped playing and gave them the game they wanted to play. "I think it is [a mindset problem]. When you're leading 1-0 you get afraid to lose the win and in my opinion that's what we did wrong today. You go for the second goal and that was the intention but we didn't manage to do that on the pitch."

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