Arise Arsenal, the people's Premier League champions

LONDON -- Winners usually become unpopular pretty quickly because everybody wants to see the best knocked off their perch, but after capitalizing on Manchester City's first defeat of the season to move level on points with the Premier League leaders, Arsenal proved they can be people's champions as well as Premier League champions. A routine 2-0 home win against Everton thanks to goals from defenders Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhães in each half enabled the Gunners to close a three-point gap on City to just goal difference, following Aston Villa's 2-1 win against Enzo Maresca's side earlier in the day. Who knows if we are in for an epic title race or an Arsenal procession due to the uncertainty surrounding City and the outcome of their appeal against the guilty verdict in their case against the Premier League? If their appeal is thrown out, City could be relegated rather than title winners. "We have to just focus on what we can do," Arteta said when asked about the strange situation of battling with City at the top. "We are very pleased with 90% of our result and performances other than the Brighton game [3-0 defeat last month]." It is too early in the season to talk of runaway leaders, but City had been looking formidable prior to their slip at Villa Park following seven straight league wins and that was becoming kind of awkward for the Premier League. With an independent commission finding the club guilty of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules last month -- City, who have lodged an appeal, were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges -- the sight of Maresca's side pulling clear at the top of the table was not a good look for the biggest league in the world. Just imagine the scenes at the end of the season if the disciplinary process is still unresolved and the Premier League trophy is held aloft with light blue ribbons at the Etihad. Awkward is an understatement, especially if City have to hand the trophy back days or weeks later because of, in the words of Premier League CEO Richard Masters, "systematically breaking Premier League rules for nearly a decade." That nightmare scenario might still happen, but Arsenal's win against Everton showed they are ready to fight City all the way this season. Arteta's side are defending champions and are desperate to retain their title. When they won the title last season -- Arsenal's first since 2003-04 -- Arteta's team were anything but universally popular champions. Their style of play, overreliance on set-pieces and readiness to waste time, plus Arteta's touchline antics, had many rival fans hoping for yet another City title. But that animosity towards Arsenal has gone because of the reaction to City being found guilty of breaking so many rules. When they returned to action with a 3-0 win at Liverpool earlier this month after being hit with the guilty verdict during the international break, City were subjected to chants of "cheats" and greeted with banners dismissing and belittling their success. Fans have sung anti-City songs at games when they haven't even been playing and at Villa, the City fans were greeted with graffiti on the roads outside the stadium saying "Shamchester City," "115 - Kick Them Out" and "Say No to Sportswashing." But despite the acrimony, City had ridden the storm until the defeat at Villa and potential challengers had been struggling to keep pace, including Arsenal, who were beaten convincingly at Brighton last month. Arsenal's win against Everton has banished fears of a City procession to the title, though, and when the two teams meet at the Emirates on Nov. 29, the stakes will be incredibly high -- for both sides and also the credibility of the Premier League. But are Arsenal good enough to overtake City and retain their title? The points on the board suggest they are, but the Gunners have not been convincing in the early weeks of their defense. The Brighton defeat was a wake-up call, but they have since steadied the ship with successive wins against Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Everton. They are still lacking firepower having scored just 13 goals in in eight games so far -- City, Brighton and Chelsea have all outscored them -- but at the back, they have the joint-best record, alongside Brighton, having conceded just five times. But while this win against David Moyes' team was an ugly victory in torrential rain and the swirling wind of Storm Austen, they did so without several key players and showed their strength in depth. "They have built the squad and strengthened year on year," Everton manager Moyes said. "They have a really strong squad because of it." With Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Christos Tzolis all missing due to injury, and Jurriën Timber, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Bruno Guimarães and Martin Zubimendi all named on the bench, Arteta trusted his fringe players to deliver and they did. Ben White, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres made rare starts and all played their part. Everton aren't the strongest opposition, especially without the injured Jack Grealish and Jarrad Branthwaite, but for Arsenal to beat with them without half of their first-choice players was still an achievement and sign of their strength. "I'm very happy with the victory and performance given our terrible schedule this week," Arteta said. "I loved the mentality of the team and the quality they showed today. We needed fresh legs and they all did really well." It wasn't spectacular, but it was a win and a victory that will have been greeted with cheers well beyond the Emirates.