Oleksandr Zinchenko was involved in a bust-up with Arsenal nemesis Neal Maupay during the 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park. The French striker seemingly kicked the Ukrainian defender late in the match, with the pair falling to the floor as tempers continued to flare after the full-time whistle.
The Gunners were left frustrated by the Toffees' stubborn defence as Sean Dyche managed to get the better of Mikel Arteta in his first game in charge of the Merseyside club. James Tarkowski's header in the second half proved to be the difference as Arsenal failed to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table, despite remaining five points ahead of Manchester City, who play Tottenham on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta revealed what he told his players in the dressing room following the defeat as he looks to maintain their strong mentality ahead of a clash against in-form Brentford next week. There were a few controversial decisions during the fixture with many fans feeling Gabriel Magalhaes had a strong claim for a penalty after Maupay seemingly tripped the Brazilian inside the area.
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This is not the first time Maupay has rattled Arsenal. Two years ago, the Frenchman riled up Gunners' players after a poor challenge caused goalkeeper Bernd Leno to pick up an injury during a match between Brighton and Arsenal. He then went on to score a late penalty to win the game for the Seagulls that day, and his celebrations angered Matteo Guendouzi, who grabbed his countryman's throat on the final whistle.
On this occasion, Maupay kicked out at Zinchenko before hauling the defender to the ground, holding his face and laughing at the Ukraine international, who reacted angrily. Zinchenko's frustrations continued after the full-time whistle as he made his way towards the striker and a group of Everton players before Arteta intercepted the 26-year-old and hauled him towards the tunnel.
Arsenal must not let the defeat derail their Premier League title charge as teams they face now have a blueprint on how to frustrate the north London outfit. Arteta will need to find a way to break down teams that sit back and soak up pressure in order to maintain their gap to City, who will be boosted by the Gunners' disappointing result.
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