Arsenal are held to a 1-1 draw by Everton at Goodison Park by a soft Ndiaye penalty

Iliman Ndiaye’s contentious penalty cancelled out Leandro Trossard’s opener as Everton held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw which leaves Liverpool needing only 11 points from eight games to clinch the title.

Ndiaye converted coolly from the spot early in the second half at Goodison Park after Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have fouled Jack Harrison by referee Darren England.

The decision was described as “awfully soft” by Michael Dawson and Mike Dean on Soccer Saturday, with the contact beginning outside the box, but England’s decision was upheld by VAR.

Trossard had earlier put Arsenal in front with a clinical strike from the edge of the box after a mix-up between Idrissa Gueye and Jarrad Branthwaite allowed Raheem Sterling to launch a break.

Player ratings

Everton: Pickford (7), O’Brien (6), Tarkowski (7), Branthwaite (7), Patterson (6), Gueye (6), Iroegbunam (6), Doucoure (6), Harrison (7), Ndiaye (7), Beto (6).

Subs: Garner (6), Broja (6), Young (6), Alcaraz (6).

Arsenal: Raya (6), White (7), Saliba (7), Kiwior (7), Lewis-Skelly (6), Jorginho (6), Rice (7), Merino (7), Nwaneri (6), Trossard (7), Sterling (7).

Subs: Saka (6), Martinelli (6), Timber (6), Odegaard (6), Tierney (6)

Player of the Match: William Saliba

Mikel Arteta made five changes to his team with Tuesday’s Champions League showdown against Real Madrid in mind, as Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli were named on the bench and Bukayo Saka again featured as a substitute after his midweek winner against Fulham.

Having lost Gabriel Magalhaes to a season-ending hamstring injury in that game, the visitors were relieved to welcome Ben White back from a niggle, while Jurrien Timber also came on as a substitute having recovered from a knock.

Arsenal came through the game without any further injury setbacks but could not find a winning goal in a scrappy encounter, with substitute Odegaard firing wastefully wide and Jordan Pickford making smart saves from Declan Rice and Martinelli.

Liverpool now have the chance to move 14 points clear of second-placed Arsenal when they face Fulham live on Sky Sports on Super Sunday. Everton, meanwhile, move up to 14th.

Have your say: Was it a penalty?

The penalty incident came less than a minute into the second period as Lewis-Skelly tangled with Harrison from a long Everton pass. Contact was initiated outside the box but continued, with Harrison going to ground inside the box.

“The referee’s call of penalty for the challenge by Lewis-Skelly on Harrison was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact deemed to be sufficient for a penalty and inside the area,” said a Premier League statement.