Arsenal 2 Everton 1:ARSENAL PLAYED poorly for much of the match yet they may well look back fondly on an evening when they threw off the stereotypes.

Having fallen behind they even completed the recovery by scoring, improbably for this side, from a corner, as Laurent Koscielny headed home with 15 minutes remaining.

And so the hosts sustained their pursuit of the Premier League leaders Manchester United. Little episodes may have ramifications. As challengers for the title, Arsenal have reached the stage where there are hopes, if not expectations, and the level of stress starts to climb.

Everton had been more carefree even before they scored. Just as Arsene Wenger’s side were settling down, the hosts suffered the loss of an unusual goal. In the 24th minute, Koscielny, who was the last defender, stretched a leg and deliberately made contact with a pass from Seamus Coleman. That contact nudged the ball on to Louis Saha, who was behind him and the striker took his opportunity impeccably.

The referee Lee Mason seemed to review the episode on the screen at the Emirates and then consulted his assistant Stephen Child, but under the modern interpretation of the offside law it was right that the goal should stand, although Arsenal will argue that Saha must have been active.

Unsettling as that was for Arsenal, there had been more fundamental difficulties in the sluggish start they had made. They might have had superior means to Everton, but the hosts were conscious of one absentee.

With Samir Nasri, the best player at the club this season, ruled out for three weeks, Wenger could have been racking his brains over who could possibly take on the responsibilities.

The manager might have asked himself if that chap Cesc Fabregas could compensate for the loss of the Frenchman.

Before the game, he had just three Premier League goals in the current campaign. His marksmanship was dubious here when he pulled a shot wide after he had been set up by a backheel from Robin van Persie in the 17th minute. The midfielder is most unlikely to match last season’s tally of 15 goals in the League alone, which he reached despite having his club season ended by a leg fracture in March.

There was a hint of another sort of impact in this match when he set up a chance for Van Persie, but the centre-forward could not keep his balance and the attempt went high in the 37th minute.

At that point, Wenger’s men had still not subdued the visitors and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov had to be denied by the goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Everton had not looked likely to upset Arsenal since the manager David Moyes does not have the means to buy a more dependable scorer. His side do have resilience, though, as seen in the fact that a mere three away matches had been lost in the League before they came to the Emirates.

That durability was evident in the first half. Bookings for Jack Wilshere and Tomas Rosicky gave the impression, too, that the concentration levels of the Arsenal players were dubious.

It was not immediately apparent that they had regrouped following the interval, when Van Persie sent a free-kick straight into the wall from a good position.

Wenger’s team should not have been so predictable since they must be accustomed to well-drilled visitors who get 10 men behind the ball. Everton, with an hour gone, had stopped Arsenal from showing the normal grace. The visitors were not always pinned down around their own penalty area.

Andrey Arshavin took over from Rosicky after 62 minutes. The substitute has been a cause for concern in this campaign, but Wenger had no alternative as he tried to shake thing up.

Indeed, Wilshere soon had to give way to Nicklas Bendtner. It was the first of those substitutes, though, who levelled the score in the 70th minute. Arshavin was standing behind Jack Rodwell but it was the midfielder’s header from a chipped pass by Fabregas that set him up to equalise. Belatedly, Arsenal were in full cry, and Koscielny had the decisive say.

ARSENAL: Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song (Diaby 46), Wilshere (Bendtner 68), Walcott, Fabregas, Rosicky (Arshavin 62), van Persie. Subs not used: Almunia, Eboue, Gibbs, Chamakh. Booked: Wilshere, Rosicky, van Persie.

EVERTON: Howard, Neville (Jagielka 78), Heitinga, Distin, Baines, Coleman (Anichebe 78), Arteta, Rodwell, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov (Osman 65), Saha. Subs not used: Mucha, Beckford, Gueye, Baxter. Booked: Distin, Rodwell, Arteta, Howard, Osman.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).