Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted his players were in a "big fight" after slipping to an eighth defeat of the Premier League season at the hands of high-flying Everton on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti's side moved five points behind leaders Liverpool after beating the Londoners 2-1 in front of 2,000 delighted fans at Goodison Park. At the other end of the table, the Gunners remain 15th after just one win in their past 10 league games, putting Arteta's position under intense scrutiny just four months after they won the FA Cup. After red cards undid Arsenal in their previous two games, much of the damage was again self-inflicted as Rob Holding's own goal opened the scoring. Nicolas Pepe's penalty briefly levelled the scores, but Yerry Mina's header on the stroke of half-time secured a third consecutive win for Everton.

Arteta said the game hinged on two key moments. "We reacted really well," he told Sky Sports. "We dominated the game. We created enough chances at least to not lose. We hit the bar. We don't have the luck." "The boys are absolutely still fighting," he added. "They're hurt right now." Arsenal were dealt a major blow before kick-off, losing captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to a calf injury. He had just re-found his scoring touch with a first goal from open play in the Premier League since September in a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton on Wednesday. That point briefly stemmed the spiral of decline for Arsenal but the club, who have been in English football's top flight since 1919, find themselves in uncharted territory, facing a relegation battle.