Arsenal pushed Ronald Koeman further to the brink as Everton suffered a 5-2 humiliation.

The Blues weathered an early spell of pressure from the visitors and took a surprise lead when Wayne Rooney struck a long-range effort at the Park End.

But Koeman’s side were pegged back just five minutes from half time when Jordan Pickford parried a Granit Xhaka drive into Nacho Monreal’s path.

Mesut Ozil headed the Gunners ahead with barely 10 minutes of the second half played before teeing up Alexandre Lacazette to score later in the game.

Everton found themselves reduced to 10 men as Idrissa Gueye received a second booking from referee Craig Pawson for a rash challenge on Xhaka.

Their misery was further compounded when Aaron Ramsey struck at the end of normal time before substitute Oumar Niasse bagged a late consolation.

Arsenal added a fifth in stoppage time through Alexis Sanchez as Koeman was left to fear for his future with Everton in the Premier League relegation zone.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison:

Time for Koeman to go

 

There can no longer be any excuses or hiding for Ronald Koeman now.

His time as Everton manager is over in all but name after this performance.

Beneath the gaze of Farhad Moshiri, Koeman knew that the end was nigh. Even as his team continued to make countless mistakes, he stood motionless.

The Dutchman insists he believes the situation can be transformed but the reaction from within Goodison Park at the final whistle suggested otherwise.

Those that stayed behind see through the humiliation to the bigger end were so deflated that the chorus of boos at the final whistle was short-lived.

A fan base that previously responded to their side dropping into the Premier League’s bottom three with anger has been replaced by one of indifference.

That in itself should be the warning sign that Moshiri and the Everton hierarchy need that Koeman has officially reached the point of no return.

Rooney re-run offers rare bright spot

 

Nostalgia has been a recurring theme throughout Wayne Rooney’s Goodison swansong but the bad has tended to outweigh the good in recent weeks.

On the 15th anniversary of the wonder strike which announced him to the footballing world, though, the 31-year-old managed to roll back the years.

Beating one formidable Arsenal goalkeeper with a piledriver at the Park End is no mean feat but doing it a second time around cannot be understated.

A rifled effort from outside the penalty area left Petr Cech sprawling as it turned a previously insurmountable tide back in Everton’s favour.

Although that momentum proved to be short-lived in the grander scheme, Rooney’s moment of magic offered a rare bright spot on a dismal afternoon.

Pickford holds the fort

 

Everton’s summer recruits have emerged with little credit this term with one exception and it was again the player that helped keep them in this game.

Under siege with barely 10 minutes on the clock, a sense of inevitability hung over Koeman’s side as the visitors were regularly allowed to threaten.

Within barely three minutes they were cut open as a threaded pass to Aaron Ramsey put him in a one-on-one situation with an advancing Jordan Pickford.

He went on to deny Ramsey, Alexandre Lacazette and Granit Xhaka before the latter’s deflected effort found its way to Nacho Monreal at close range.

Things deteriorated from thereon but Pickford cannot be blamed for abject defending. Without him, Everton could have been looking at double digits.

Striker failure rears its ugly head (again)

 

When Koeman is invariably given his marching orders, Everton’s inability to source a replacement for Romelu Lukaku will be chief among his complaints.

Apportioning blame for that poor recruitment is likely to spark an intense debate but the merits of a marksman came home to roost once again.

Lacazette was a constant threat from the outset and received his just reward with a sweeping finish after being teed up by Ozil just 15 minutes from time.

More galling for Everton was the fact that the man they had tried to sign – Olivier Giroud – stayed on the substitutes’ bench for the entire game.

Everton, meanwhile, are soldiering through with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and occasional cameos from this afternoon’s scorers in Rooney and Oumar Niasse.

Whoever takes Koeman’s place will have to urgenly address the striker shortcomings when the transfer window reopens in two months’ time.