Arsenal not quite the Real deal on final trip to Goodison

One more for the road. Goodison preparing for Arsenal's last visit : Picture by @YTJourno

Everton (0) 1 Ndiaye 49 pen

Arsenal (1) 1 Trossard 34

The starting line-up gave the game away.

Yes, the Gunners wanted to win this one to keep up the notional pressure on Everton's Stanley Park rivals at the top of the table. But that Tuesday clash with Real Madrid is everything now.

That title dream has faded out of view almost entirely - and besides, the loss of Gabriel for the rest of the season means Arsenal could ill-afford to lose any more key players to injury, hence a cautious starting XI.

Mikel Arteta kept back skipper Martin Odegaard, along with Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber. Most were to play a part off the bench but the message was unmistakeable.

Call it horses for courses on Grand National day - taking place just down the road at Aintree.

The end of term feeling could have prevailed, but for Evertonians, the season has taken on an act or religious devotion as the countdown to their final game at this venerable old citadel narrows to just three more games.

That said, Arteta's men did a good job of draining some of that home fervour by hogging the ball - often reducing the host crowd to silence. Both sets of fans also shared a ninth-minute stand-off in tribute to the late Kevin Campbell, who graced both clubs.

The home energy from the stands was potent, but the Gunners were in no mood to play second fiddle and their greater quality on the break was a good counter to the home side's aerial strengths.

Half and hour in and Raheem Sterling - given the rarest of starts - broke out and supplied a pass out left to Leandro Trossard and the Belgian's low left-foot shot raced through the legs of Jake O'Brien and past Jordan Pickford's left hand dive.

Everton levelled four minutes after the break when Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have brought down Jack Harrison on the edge of the area and Iliman Ndiaye drilled the ball home from the spot.

It looked a harsh decision by ref Darren England. Replays suggested it was soft but VAR did not intervene.

Arteta had brought on Saka and Martinelli at half-time, but the Gunners promptly conceded the equaliser and Odegaard also came off the bench in a bid to get a winner that was only occasionally threatened.

Declan Rice smashed a free-kick at Pickford after James Tarkowski had illegally halted a brillliant slalom from deep by Lewis-Skelly ad Martinelli drew a fine save after cutting in from the left before unleashing - but this was not a game flushed with chances.

David Moyes' organisational skills again counted for much.

A tight game then, as often seems to be the case between the sides here. And the outcome was probably predictable, with the Toffees having drawn half their games at Goodison this season. But for both teams, it felt as if other things were on their minds.

Toffees: (4-2-3-1) Pickford - O'Brien, Tarkowki, Branthwaite, Patterson (Young 75) - Gueye (Alcaraz 75), Iroegbunam (Garner 65) - Harrison (McNeil 87), Doucoure, Ndiaye - Beto (Broja 65)

Gunners: (4-3-3) Raya - White (Timber 61), Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly (Tierney 75) - Rice, Jorginho (Odegaard 71), Merino - Nwanrei (Saka h/t), Trossard, Sterling (Martinelli h/t)

Attendance: 39,316