Rooney goal in vain as five-star Arsenal send Everton into drop zone
LIVERPOOL: Wayne Rooney recreated his famous first league goal for Everton against Arsenal on Sunday but it was not enough to prevent his struggling team falling to a 5-2 defeat and into the Premier League bottom three.
Goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette proved pivotal as Everton continued their worst start to a season in nine years, with this latest reverse adding to the mounting pressure on Everton manager Ronald Koeman.
German international Ozil struck with a superb header in the 53rd minute at Goodison Park, slipping between two defenders to meet a magnificent left-wing cross from team mate Alexis Sanchez and put Arsenal ahead.
Nacho Monreal had cancelled out Rooney’s opener and hopes of a home comeback were damaged when Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 69th minute after midfielder Idrissa Gueye caught Granit Xhaka and was shown a second yellow card.
Lacazette killed off any hope of that recovery in the 74th minute, after neat passing between Sanchez and Ozil allowed the Frenchman to convert clinically from 15 yards.
The rout continued in the last minute of normal time as substitute Jack Wilshere produced a defencesplitting pass which found Aaron Ramsey who finished unerringly to make it 4-1.
But in a bizarre conclusion, there were two goals in stoppage time, first from Everton substitute Oumar Niasse who charged down a Petr Cech clearance to force the ball into the net.
Arsenal were still not finished and Sanchez became their fifth different scorer from the last attack as he was allowed to carry the ball across the face of the area and score with an excellent angled shot.
Rooney’s goal had come completely against the run of play in the 12th minute but the technique employed by the veteran forward — who turns 32 on Tuesday — was no less impressive for that fact. — AFP