Tomas Rosicky came off the bench to grab a stoppage-time equaliser
as Arsenal earned a 2-2 Premier League draw with Everton at The
Emirates.
Leon Osman headed the visitors into a deserved lead on 12
minutes, jumping highest in the 18-yard box and powering home a
corner from new loan signing Landon Donovan.
However, the midfielder then unluckily deflected Denilson's
20-yard shot past Tim Howard as the Gunners levelled on 28 minutes.
Steven Pienaar's breakaway goal looked to have won it on 81,
when the South African midfielder beat the offside trap to latch
onto Tim Cahill's throughball and brilliantly dink the ball over
Manuel Almunia.
But super-sub Rosicky saw his dramatic late shot deflect off
Lucas Neill and loop over Tim Howard to earn Arsenal a draw which
cut the deficit on leaders Chelsea down to three points.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger had called on his team to maintain
the momentum which has dragged them right back into the title rave
with five wins from six, but it was Everton who made the better
start.
Louis Saha had got ahead of the defence on the right, but
blasted over.
It was no surprise when the visitors took the lead on 12
minutes as Osman headed in a corner from Donovan, the United States
international making his debut after a loan move from Los Angeles
Galaxy.
Wenger's youngsters faced another test of character and
looked for an immediate response. However, Everton dropped men back
to crowd midfield.
Arsenal were, though, level on 28 minutes. Denilson charged
down a clearance, and the ball fell to Andrey Arshavin on the edge
of the penalty area.
The Russian fed Eduardo, who touched a pass back to the
Brazilian, and his low strike took a wicked deflection off Osman to
wrong-foot Howard.
Despite getting themselves back into the match, Arsenal
looked anything but comfortable when defending around their own
penalty area.
Almunia failed to collect a deep cross, which Tim Cahill
almost headed in.
Everton captain Phil Neville then chipped his angled effort
onto the roof of the net.
The conditions worsened as the second half started.
Donovan weaved his way into the Arsenal penalty area, and was
unfortunate to see a curling shot drift wide.
As the hour mark approached, the weather - which caused the
postponement of the midweek match here against Bolton - showed no
signs of improvement.
Arshavin cut into the right side of the Everton box and drew
Howard, but the Everton keeper did well to recover to claw the ball
away.
Saha latched onto a stray pass and charged goalwards, before
his 20-yard shot was deflected behind.
Bacary Sagna's deep cross from the right was just too far
ahead of both Rosicky - on for Aaron Ramsey - and Arshavin,
arriving at the far post.
Armand Traore flashed a left-wing cross through the six-yard
box, before Denilson struck a 20-yard effort over.
Both teams made further changes with 15 minutes left as
Eduardo was replaced by Carlos Vela and Everton sent James Vaughan
on for Saha.
Abou Diaby hacked clear after Cahill broke into the left side
of the Arsenal box before Arshavin did the same at the other end,
with his shot blocked at the near post.
Everton, though, snatched what looked to be a late winner
when Pienaar raced onto a pass from Cahill to chip Almunia with
eight minutes left.
Vaughan could have made the game safe when clean through, but
this time Almunia saved.
Denilson, just returned from a back problem, had to be taken
off on a stretcher after collapsing in the build-up to the Everton
attack. Fran Merida came on.
Arsenal threw plenty forward during the closing stages, and
were rewarded in stoppage time when Rosicky smashed home a
close-range shot which deflected off Neill.
