Arsenal gamble backfires as doomed title push takes new hit vs Everton - 5 talking points

Arsenal were their own worst enemies as geared up for their first leg against . Mikel Arteta's team went about their business calmly and intelligently in the first half at Everton, only to gift their opponents a way back into the game from the penalty spot.

put the Gunners in front when he rounded off a quick break. looked to have enough bodies back to deal with and Trossard, but the visitors' forwards combined for a goal that looked all too easy.

Trossard had a chance to add a second in first-half stoppage time, only for to get in the way of his effort. Arteta's men were almost punished for not extending their lead when Iliman Ndiaye found space seconds before the break, but the forward couldn't find the target.

called for the cavalry after the break, throwing and Gabriel Martinelli into the fold. However, their bigger concern was at the other end of the pitch, with getting away with a hairy moment on the edge of his box and Myles Lewis-Skelly conceding a penalty moments later.

Ndiaye sent Raya the wrong way from 12 yards to level things up, and the visitors weren't able to regain their lead. Arsenal's title hopes were already looking slim before kick-off, but they fade that bit faster with every point dropped.

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In a game of few big chances, Arsenal needed the breaks to go their way, but they struggled to get back on top after the equaliser. Here are Mirror Football's talking points from Goodison Park.

1. Lewis-Skelly's inexperience shows

Myles Lewis-Skelly's fast start in Arsenal colours has been well-documented, but he hasn't been without his hiccups. First came a red card in the defeat againat , and then his concession of a penalty at Goodison Park.

First came a misjudgement to leave himself the wrong side of Jack Harrison, and then came the arm to bring down the winger. Those of an Arsenal persuasion may have felt Harrison went down too easily, but VAR decided against changing the on-field call made by referee Darren England.

At just 18 years of age, Lewis-Skelly is bound to make the occasional mistake as he finds his feet in the game. Arsenal should be more concerned with how he responds to setbacks, and so far the signs have been good.

2. Kiwior put to the test

With Gabriel ruled out for the season, Jakub Kiwior is expected to start against Real Madrid on Tuesday. The Polish international started at Goodison Park in an effort to build up match sharpness, though the Madrid front three might pose him a bigger test than Everton's attackers.

Everton striker Beto put Kiwior to the test early on, but the former Spezia man dealt with what came his way in te first half. His communication with Lewis-Skelly around the penalty could have been better, though a late test was dealt with better as substitute Armando Broja looked to pounce.

Real Madrid have the quality to punish even the slightest mistake through the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. It will be interesting to see if Kiwior gets singled out against that dangerous trio.

3. White makes his case for Madrid

Kiwior's inclusion wasn't the only defensive change. came in at right-back, with Jurrien Timber only fit enough for the bench after coming off against on Tuesday.

It was the former man's first league start since November, with knee surgery keeping him out for much of the campaign. He has played just nine league minutes since returning to action, and wasn't involved at all in midweek as Arteta looks to minimise the risk of a further injury setback.

With Saka only entering at the break, and White lasting an hour, there wasn't much time for Arsenal fans to see the right-sided combination which served them so well last season. Might we see more of it on Tuesday.

4. Quiet Sterling makes his contribution

Raheem Sterling was expected to play a part on Saturday, with his 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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