A comprehensive performance from Everton saw them move within a point of Arsenal on the English Premiership table after beating the Gunners 3-0 in a league match at Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
The result sees Everton into fifth place on the table with 63 points from 32 games, one point behind fourth placed Arsenal who have played a game more.
It was an action packed opening 45 minutes as the play swung from end to end with both teams having their fair share of shots on goal.
Everton created the first opening in the second minute when Leon Osman flashed a volley inches wide of the target from distance.
The home side suffered a bit of a setback nine minutes later when Osman had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Ross Barkley.
Arsenal had their first real attempt on goal in the 11h minute when Mathieu Flamini let loose with a powerful shot from 25-yards, but Tim Howard made a good save.
Everton then took the lead five minutes later when an initial shot from Romelu Lukaku was brilliantly saved by the keeper, but Steven Naismith was quick to pounce on the rebound to slot the ball home from 16-yards out, 1-0.
Naismith almost found a second in the 22nd minute when he got on the end of a driven cross from James McCarthy, but he directed his shot from close range straight at the keeper.
Ten minutes later Wojciech Szczesny was called into action again for Arsenal, diving low to his right to make a fingertip stop to deny Kevin Mirallas from just inside the box.
Everton did double their lead in the 35th minute when Lukaku cut in from the right flank and fired the ball into the bottom corner of the net from 16-yards out, 2-0.
Five minutes later Howard had to be at his best when he acrobatically tipped a Lukas Podolski shot over the crossbar from the edge of the box.
Everton put the result beyond doubt on the hour mark when a former Toffee in Mikel Arteta turned the ball into his own net following a goalmouth scramble inside the Arsenal box, 3-0.
The Gunners tried to find their way back into the game, but the Everton defence held firm as they picked up all three points.
