Everton 1 Arsenal 0:A blizzard was whipping viciously into the arena as the game lurched into stoppage-time, the hailstorm careering in over the Gwladys Street stand and stinging the eyes of the home players as they mounted one last attack. Yet, blinded at the last, it was Arsenal who froze.
With victory secured in the dying seconds Everton's pursuit of qualification for the Uefa Cup has gained renewed momentum. Late success over the Londoners moved the hosts to within a point of fifth-placed Bolton Wanderers, a side stuttering at present, with wild celebrations erupting in the stands and on the touchline at yesterday's final whistle.
The sensational victory was a fine way to mark the fifth anniversary of David Moyes' arrival at this club.
Andrew Johnson had been busy enough if starved of clear-cut opportunities, but his bite remained throughout. The striker sprang to flick on Mikel Arteta's corner a minute into added time then pounced when the ball ricocheted back to him off a combination of Gilberto Silva and Kolo Toure to hammer his 12th goal of the season through the clutter in the six-yard box.
All being well, Johnson will start England's Euro 2008 qualifier in Tel Aviv on Saturday and will even be permitted to play in his favoured position, up front. The 26-year-old admitted the prospect leaves him "buzzing".
Everton's late reward was merited given that the excellent Lee Carsley and Leon Osman, wriggling between Arsenal markers, had both struck the woodwork. Yet the suspicion remained that the visitors, more leggy than usual, were always there for the taking.
The Londoners under Arsene Wenger have regularly come unstuck here before but their season is in danger of petering out into relative mediocrity - they remain comfortable in third, after all, with this a first league defeat of 2007 - given their continued inability to transform pretty approach-play into incisive finishing.
They threatened only in patches, a frenzied period just before the interval seeing Julio Baptista, Abou Diaby, Jeremie Aliadiere and Cesc Fabregas all close to earning them a lead. The Spaniard's attempt was thwarted by Tim Howard's legs, and had been prompted by trademark rat-a-tat passes between four visiting players. The move took the breath away, though the sight of Aliadiere skying Thomas Rosicky's pull-back over the bar had the manager grumbling.
Arsenal's cause will not be helped with Theo Walcott to undergo surgery on a shoulder complaint tomorrow - his first full season at the club is now over.
For their part, Everton appear to be coping without the injured Tim Cahill, with Carsley anchoring and snarling in midfield to allow Arteta, Manuel Fernandes and Leon Osman to busy themselves around him.
"We've had to improvise and come up with a new approach," said Moyes. Five years into his reign and promise remains.
Man-of-the-match Lee Carsley is one of Goodison's unsung heroes who goes unnoticed and unappreciated at times, but he was Everton's metronome here, breaking up Arsenal's play and allowing those around him to create. His best moment was getting in between Arsenal defenders and battering a volley against the woodwork midway through the first period which almost secured the hosts the lead.
