Arsenal found a way. In a tight, gritty game on a cold December night at Hill Dickinson Stadium, a single first-half penalty from Viktor Gyökeres delivered a 1-0 win over Everton and sent the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League table at Christmas. It was not flashy. It did not need to be. It was the type of hard-earned victory that shapes title races.

Gyökeres from the spot: the game’s turning point

The decisive moment came on 27 minutes. Declan Rice whipped a corner into the box. Under pressure, Everton defender Jake O’Brien handled the ball. Referee Samuel Barrott pointed to the spot. Viktor Gyökeres stepped up, stayed calm, and buried it. One chance, one finish, and Arsenal had the lead they would not give back.

It was a cruel lesson for a home side that had stuck to a disciplined plan. But the call was clear, and the strike was clean—a reminder that small mistakes can decide big matches. As one highlight recap put it, the penalty was “the crucial moment of a closely-fought encounter.”

“One handball and a cool head — that’s title-winning calm.”

Everton’s effort, Arsenal’s control

Everton worked. They pressed. They pushed Arsenal back in spells, especially late in both halves. But for all the effort, the end product was missing. Several accounts noted that the Toffees struggled to put real shots on target against what has been called the meanest defense in England. That lack of clear chances told the story.

Arsenal were not free-flowing either. By one account, the visitors had only two shots on goal across the 90 minutes. But they managed the game smartly. They took care of the ball when it mattered and slowed it down when they had to. They did the quiet work that good away teams do when protecting a lead.

Fine margins: two posts and one big break

If the penalty was the headline, the second half was the subtext: inches. Arsenal struck the post twice after the break. On another night, one of those efforts tucks inside the upright and the scoreline looks more comfortable. Instead, it stayed nervy to the end.

Everton felt the game was there for them if they could find a spark. But their best passages ended without a clear test for the goalkeeper. When your opponent hits the woodwork twice and still wins by one, it underlines how narrow the gap can be at this level.

“Two posts, three points. That’s the difference at the top.”

Arsenal’s title test: winning ugly counts

This was billed as Arsenal’s first real title test of the festive period. Manchester City had already posted their points earlier in the day, so the pressure was on. The Gunners knew they had to come and win to regain pole position at Christmas—and they did, through a penalty and some mature game management.

With the victory, Arsenal move to 39 points from 12 wins, three draws, and just two losses. That puts them two clear of City on 37. The phrase “Christmas champions” was used for good reason. It does not hand out trophies, but it does tell you who has handled the first half of the season best.

Everton’s positives and the O’Brien moment

For Everton, there were building blocks. Despite missing key players, they matched the league leaders for long stretches. The energy was there. The shape was strong. The crowd sensed it too. But in games like this, a single lapse can undo a lot of good work. O’Brien’s handball from Rice’s corner was that lapse.

After that, Everton needed a big, clean chance. It never came. As one fan reaction put it, “They didn’t have a shot on target.” Whether the numbers show a late attempt or not, the wider point stands: the hosts did not truly trouble Arsenal’s back line across the night.

“Everton fought, but where were the shots on target?”

Referee watch: Samuel Barrott keeps it steady

Samuel Barrott took charge and made the big decision that defined the match. On the key incident, the handball call was prompt and decisive. There was little prolonged debate on the field, and the game moved on without major stoppages or boiling point flashpoints. For a tense, one-goal match, that composure from the referee helped keep control.

What the numbers and the night say

No one will frame this as a classic. But it was important. Arsenal, away from home, limited the chaos, survived Everton’s best pressure, and made their one big moment count. A couple of inches on those second-half shots and it’s a different conversation, but the margins fell Arsenal’s way.

• Score: Everton 0-1 Arsenal (Gyökeres 27’ pen)
• Arsenal: 12W-3D-2L, 39 points, top of the league
• Everton: 7W-3D-7L, 24 points
• Arsenal hit the post twice in the second half
• One account noted only two Arsenal shots on goal
• Referee: Samuel Barrott

Bottom line: a leader’s win

Leaders win in different ways. Sometimes they shine. Sometimes, like here, they survive. Arsenal did not create a flood of chances, but they didn’t need to. They found the one moment, via a Rice delivery and Gyökeres’ cool finish, and then they trusted their defense to see it through.

For Everton, there is encouragement in the fight and the structure. But the next step is turning pressure into product. Against the best defense in England, that is hard. Against a league leader chasing a title, that is even harder.

As the calendar year closes, Arsenal sit two points clear and carry the confidence of a team that can win in more than one way. If the spring brings bigger tests, nights like this suggest they are ready for them.