See as dem scatter Rooney

[Staff Sgt Cota VI]

Everton stopped Arsenal in their tracks with a hugely committed display in a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.

Thierry Henry holds off the attentions of Tony Hibbert. (CliveMason/GettyImages)

Last season it was Wayne Rooney's stunning goal which beat the Gunners, while everyone forgot that Tomasz Radzinski had also scored for Everton that day with the youngster grabbing all the headlines.


Wenger: We could have lost

But Arsenal will certainly not forget the Canadian international after he grabbed the deserved second-half equaliser which sent the home fans wild.

Arsenal maintained their unbeaten record this season, but it was an uncomfortable night for them. Everton roughed them up, did not give them a moments peace, and eventually got their reward.

And the irony was that it was an Arsenal player who finally made the difference.

Francis Jeffers, back at Everton on loan after an unhappy spell at Highbury, will have loved every second of his part in the goal that stopped Arsenal chalking up another win on the back of Kanu's first-half effort.

Jeffers came on as substitute, his eighth such appearance in 10 games since his return to Merseyside, and sprinted away to fire in a shot that Jens Lehmann could not hold, giving Radzinski the chance to score.

Everton's attacking intent was clear from the start with Rooney, Duncan Ferguson and Radzinski all starting.

Rooney attacked Kolo Toure down Everton's left and he lasted just 21 minutes before a knee injury forced him off, while Ferguson took on Sol Campbell in typical style.

Rooney's pace almost caught out Toure early on, but it was Kanu with the first shot when he hit a rising 25-yarder which Nigel Martyn pulled down.

And Arsenal escaped after 16 minutes when Rooney's corner flew into the box, hit an unsuspecting Kevin Kilbane, and deflected goalwards where Ashley Cole hacked off the line.

Ray Parlour was booked for a tackle on Li Tie, then substitute Lauren was carded for clattering Kilbane as Arsenal were being pressured consistently and forced into a much more hurried game than they would have liked.

Everton halted Arsenal's flow with pressure, tackling and constant running, and they needed to maintain that and their concentration to survive.

But in the 29th minute it failed them. Thierry Henry slipped the ball through a square back line and Kanu was onto it in a flash to slip round David Unsworth and Martyn before sliding home his first league goal of the season.

Nine minutes later Rooney squandered a gilt-edged chance to equalise. Kilbane swung a cross in from the left and the teenager powered into the six-yard box unmarked, but sent his point-blank header wide of a post, holding his head in disbelief.

After the interval Henry had a 20-yarder that curled into Martyn's hands, and Everton wasted a good break when Unsworth squandered possession, but Arsenal were back under constant pressure.

Ljungberg got himself booked for charging down a Rooney free-kick, and from the second effort Rooney fired his next effort through the wall for Lehmann to block.

When Kilbane limped off, Everton's response was another striker with Jeffers introduced to the fray.

And it was he who played a major part in Everton's deserved equaliser after 74 minutes.

Ferguson's header wide sent Jeffers scampering away on the right and when his fierce cross-shot was palmed away by Lehmann, Radzinski was coming in unmarked on the left to angle his shot into the unguarded net.

These Engilish Writers fit yab no bi small.

[Eagle Winged]

I saw that miss, it was unbelievable. All he had to do was head it infront and it was in. His header would make any defender proud; for a split second i thought his team were attacking the other way.