Talking points as Arsenal's title hopes dealt fatal blow with Everton draw

Arsenal were their own worst enemies as they prepared for their Champions League first leg against Real Madrid. Mikel Arteta's squad approached the first half of their game at Everton with calm intelligence, only to hand their rivals a way back into the match via a penalty.

Leandro Trossard put the Gunners ahead by finishing off a swift counter-attack. Despite Everton appearing to have enough players back to handle Raheem Sterling and Trossard, the visiting forwards combined to score a goal that seemed all too easy.

Trossard had an opportunity to double the lead in the stoppage time of the first half, but Jordan Pickford blocked his attempt. Arteta's side nearly paid the price for not widening their lead when Iliman Ndiaye found room just before half-time, but the striker failed to hit the mark.

After the interval, Arsenal brought on reinforcements in the form of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. However, their main worry was at the other end of the field, with David Raya narrowly avoiding a risky moment on the edge of his box and Myles Lewis-Skelly giving away a penalty shortly after.

Ndiaye fooled Raya from 12 yards to equalise, and the visitors couldn't regain their advantage. Arsenal's title aspirations were already looking thin before the start of the match, and with each point lost, they seem to fade even faster, reports the Mirror.

In a match with few significant opportunities, Arsenal needed the luck to be on their side, but they found it hard to regain control after the equaliser. Here are the key points from Goodison Park according to Mirror Football.

1. Lewis-Skelly's lack of experience is evident.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's impressive start in Arsenal colours has been widely reported, but he hasn't been without his blunders. First, there was a red card in the loss against West Ham, followed by his penalty concession at Goodison Park.

First, he misjudged and found himself on the wrong side of Jack Harrison, then he used his arm to bring down the winger. Those supporting Arsenal may have felt Harrison went down too easily, but VAR chose not to overturn the on-field decision made by referee Darren England.

At just 18 years old, Lewis-Skelly is bound to make occasional errors as he adjusts to the game. Arsenal should be more concerned about how he reacts to setbacks, and so far the signs have been positive.

2. Kiwior faces a challenge.

With Gabriel out for the season, Jakub Kiwior is expected to start against Real Madrid on Tuesday. The Polish international started at Goodison Park to gain match fitness, although Madrid's front three might present him with a greater challenge than Everton's attackers.

Everton's forward Beto gave Kiwior a run for his money early in the game, but the ex-Spezia player managed to handle the pressure in the first half. His coordination with Lewis-Skelly around the penalty area could have been improved, though he handled a late threat from substitute Armando Broja effectively.

Real Madrid, boasting talents like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, are known to capitalise on even the smallest errors. It remains to be seen if Kiwior will be targeted by this formidable trio.

3. White stakes his claim for Madrid.

Kiwior wasn't the only defensive adjustment. Ben White was brought in as right-back, with Jurrien Timber only fit enough to be a substitute after his previous match against Fulham on Tuesday.

This marked White's first league start since November, having been sidelined due to knee surgery for most of the season. He has only played nine league minutes since his return, and was not involved in the midweek game as Arteta aims to avoid any further injury complications.

With Saka only coming on after half-time, and White playing for just an hour, Arsenal fans didn't get much chance to see the right-sided duo that served them so well last season. Perhaps we'll see more of this partnership on Tuesday.

4. Sterling keeps a low profile but contributes nonetheless.

Raheem Sterling was anticipated to play a part on Saturday, with his Champions League suspension ensuring he won't be involved on Tuesday. He remained on the bench for the Fulham game during the week, but returned to the starting line-up on Merseyside.

It was the on-loan winger's first league outing in more than a month, but he registered a pair of assists against PSV Eindhoven in mid-March. Another assist followed on Saturday, with Sterling first to react after an Everton mix-up before driving forward and feeding Trossard.

Sterling might not have done enough to earn himself a permanent move at the end of the season and only got 45 minutes this time. However, as Arsenal look to finish the season strongly, they'll need everyone contributing to the effort.

5. Rotation costs Arteta.

Arsenal's manager made multiple changes in the hope he could keep senior stars fresh for midweek. Ultimately, though, the fringe players weren't able to get things done on their own.

While the half-time introduction of Saka and Martinelli might have been pre-planned, Martin Odegaard also needed to be thrown into the fold with 15 minutes to go. Captain for the day Jorginho picked up a yellow card for his protests over the penalty, and was perhaps withdrawn with that in mind.

An unseen impact of Arsenal's injury crisis this season is the fatigue risk for those who have stayed fit. We'll find out on Tuesday just how much that aspect has taken its toll.

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