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Neal Maupay once again managed to agitate the Arsenal faithful with his actions during Everton's 1-0 Premier League home win against the Gunners on Saturday, February 4. James Tarkowski scored the only goal of the game at Goodison Park.
Coming into the contest, the two teams were polar opposites in terms of their standing in the league. While Mikel Arteta's side were at the top, the Toffees were languishing in the relegation zone.
Everton's win, however, was far from a fluke. Sean Dyche's team, surprisingly, were the better collective during the course of the contest.
The Gunners, however, were determined that they deserved a penalty when Maupay tangled with Gabriel Magalhaes inside the Everton penalty area. The central defender fell on Idrissa Gueye. Referee David Crook, however, saw nothing against the rules and waved play on.
Maupay's antics didn't stop there as the striker was caught in a late altercation with Oleksandr Zinchenko. He pulled the Ukrainian down to the ground and simulated like he had hurt his face, causing the left-back to react angrily.
The act was pure gamesmanship from the Everton man as he looked to buy his team more time to hold onto the lead. He also probably wanted Zinchenko to get booked. While the Ukrainian was cautioned, the former Brighton striker received a booking as well.
This is not the first time that Maupay has been involved in such an incident against the Gunners. He got involved in a scuffle with Mateo Guendouzi after scoring the winner for Brighton & Hove Albion against the north London-based side in 2020.
Guendouzi even held him by the throat. However, the former Gunners star somehow managed to escape a booking.
Despite their defeat on Merseyside, Arsenal remain at the top of the Premier League table with 50 points on the board from 20 games. They currently hold a five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.
Everton are 18th in the league with 18 points on the board after 21 games. The win should give the Toffees a massive boost to get their season back on track.
How did Neal Maupay perform as Everton defeated Arsenal?
Neal Maupay came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute of the game against Arsenal. He even managed to take a shot at Aaron Ramsdale's goal. The striker had 13 touches and completed three out of his six attempted passes.
The Frenchman won one out of his five ground duels and three out of his six ground duels. He also lost possession of the ball six times.
While it was a mixed outing for the player, Everton did their job. They are only the second team to defeat Arsenal in the Premier League this season.
