Everton’s wait for a first Premier League win continued against Arsenal.

Sean Dyche’s were spared from falling behind early in the first half as Gabriel Martinelli swept home before VAR disallowed the visitors’ goal for an offside.

But the Blues were finally undone in the 69th minute when Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock with a well-struck effort from inside the penalty area.

Here were the key talking points from Goodison Park:

Slow start underpins Blues’ barren run

Failing to heed warnings has become a worryingly recurring theme for Everton.

A common trait during Rafael Benitez’s ill-fated six months at the helm was how his side only showed signs of life in most games around the hour mark.

Two managers down the line, history is repeating itself with Sean Dyche.

The Blues were given ample caution of an Arsenal onslaught, notably when Gabriel Martinelli appeared to have broken the deadlock in the 19th minute.

VAR intervention, flagging Eddie Nketiah as offside in the build-up, spared their blushes with no fewer than three of the hosts’ players caught napping.

That close call, however, did little to shock Dyche’s players into action as their approach remained consistent for the entirety of the opening 30 minutes.

Only then did they start to show signs of life; finally pressing their visitors instead of being routinely, and embarrassingly, carved open on the counter.

Reducing Everton’s slow start to a half-hour instead of the customary 60 minutes from Benitez’s time may be considered progress of sorts by Dyche.

But it goes some way in explaining why he remains win-less this season.

What exactly is Dyche’s plan?

Dyche’s statistics after this result make for particularly grim reading.

A fourth defeat from his opening five Premier League games mirrors the barren run which befell David Moyes at the start of the 2005/06 campaign.

Worse still, the former Burnley manager’s paltry 26.1% win ratio is only surpassed by the infamy of Mike Walker, who did not see out a full season.

A sixth defeat at home from the previous seven coupled with 12 out from the last 18 are more ignominious feats which place Dyche under the microscope.

The question is, how exactly does he plan to resolve it?

Dyche continues to talk a good game, claiming post-match that he believes Everton’s players are ‘not a million miles away’ from finally clicking into gear.

Seasoned fans will be quick to point out that such claims also soundtracked the hasty demises of virtually all his predecessors in the Goodison hot seat.

Sooner or later, actions will need to speak louder than words if he is to avoid becoming another statistic on the list of the club’s high managerial turnover.

Goodison finally gives up the ghost

Games of this magnitude usually bring out the best in the Goodison crowd.

Whenever a high-flying Premier League counterpart rocks up at the Grand Old Lady, fans invariably raise their voices to feed into an inspired display.

Indeed, Arsenal were seeking their first win at this hallowed arena since October 2017, when a 5-2 humbling culminated in Ronald Koeman’s demise.

Yet the subdued nature of Evertonians was inescapable as they watched their team appear both laboured and unconvincing for large parts of this encounter.

The most venomous reception was reserved only for referee Simon Hooper and his fellow officials as they left the pitch shortly after Sunday’s final whistle.

Apathy has crept in numerous times but fans can be forgiven for considering giving up the ghost in light of what awaits them on a fortnightly basis.

It goes beyond Dyche, too, albeit the Everton manager is giving them little to cheer about at present with zero wins and the only goals arriving on the road.

Chronic mismanagement and questionable decisions by those on high, including the latest proposed takeover, has exacerbated that indifference.

Against that backdrop, it’s little wonder they no longer feel up for the fight.