Arsenal go second as Sagna silences Everton

Bacary Sagna scored his first goal in two years to help Arsenal claim second place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Everton on Sunday.

French full back Sagna and captain Cesc Fabregas struck to put Arsenal in command before a last-minute Tim Cahill strike set up a tense finale.

Arsene Wenger’s side held on and moved one point above Manchester United to keep the pressure on leaders Chelsea, who were set to host Sunderland later on Sunday.

“We have had two hard-fought wins, built on spirit, desire and resilience,” said Wenger, whose side also won at Wolves in mid-week.

“There is a great spirit and resilience in the side and there is more to come from this team.”

With 11 goals in their previous three league visits to Goodison Park, Arsenal have clearly enjoyed this fixture.

Last season’s 6-1 win on the opening day was as memorable for their flowing football as Everton’s abject defending.

Once again, Arsenal were incisive in their passing and swift in a series of counter-attacks that left the home side unable to cope at times.

However, Everton had the first chance when Seamus Coleman charged forward down the right and floated over an inch-perfect cross for the unmarked Cahill.

The Australian set himself up but looped his header disappointingly over the bar.

Arsenal looked increasingly dangerous and the opening goal came from an unlikely source in Sagna in the 36th minute.

Samir Nasri forced Tim Howard into a good save to his left, but Andriy Arshavin was quickest to the loose ball and teed up Sagna, who smashed a powerful shot into the corner from a tight angle.

It was only his second goal for the club and first since netting at Chelsea in March 2008.

Everton almost levelled on the stroke of half-time thanks to the unconvincing Lukasz Fabianski.

The Polish goalkeeper completely missed a corner from Mikel Arteta to the back post and Louis Saha rose to head towards the net, but the ball fortunately struck Fabianski.

It was a moment of frustration for the home side and they suffered a decisive setback just three minutes into the second half when Arsenal scored a crucial second.

Denilson broke forward and found Fabregas, who exchanged passes with Marouane Chamakh and then thrashed the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Everton launched an immediate response and were unlucky when Saha broke clear on goal, but was brought crashing down by a sliding challenge from Sebastien Squillaci.

Coleman carried on and slotted the ball into the net, but play was brought back for the foul.

The Arsenal defender was the last man, although Gael Clichy was covering, but referee Howard Webb gave him a yellow card instead of red.

Leighton Baines took the free kick from 20 yards, but curled it straight into the arms of Fabianski.

As Everton pushed forward and Arsenal broke quickly, a third goal looked inevitable.

Nasri was denied by a brave block from Howard and then a stretching Chamakh steered a shot over from a couple of yards from a low Fabregas cross.

Everton staged a late rally and Jack Rodwell blazed over when well-placed to meet a pass from Steven Pienaar.

Striker Jermaine Beckford came off the bench and forced Fabianski into a full-length save to his left before the Arsenal keeper then denied Saha and Pienaar.

Everton’s efforts were rewarded a minute before time. Arteta swung over a corner to the back post, which Saha headed back across for the lurking Cahill to pounce for his sixth goal of the campaign.

But it proved to be just a consolation as his side suffered their first defeat in nine games.