Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal proved to be too strong for Everton in their clash at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as the Gunners claimed a 2-0 win.

Goals from defenders Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes were enough to secure all three points for the hosts, with David Moyes' side mustering up just 8 shots during the game, with an xG of 0.48, compared to Arsenal's 20 shots and 1.77 xG.

Everton rocked up to north London with an injury-hit squad as Jarrad Branthwaite and Jack Grealish were both unavailable due to injury, which limited the boss' options for the clash immediately.

With Grealish sidelined due to a knock, Moyes opted for an attacking unit of Tyrique George, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Brennan Johnson to line up behind lone striker Tyrique George.

On paper, there was pace to hurt the opposition on the counter, technical quality to help control possession in spells, and a goal threat from all over. But what transpired on the day was a poor performance from them all, but in particular from Wales star Johnson.

The 25-year-old joined the Toffees in the summer in a straight swap deal with Crystal Palace for Dwight McNeil, in a move that many believed benefited Everton more since he had only made the switch to south London from Spurs in the January transfer window earlier this year.

However, since making the move, Johnson has managed just one goal and one assist in all competitions, and neither of them came in any of his eight Premier League appearances to date.

But against Arsenal, his performance levels dropped to a new low. Johnson managed just six touches of the ball in the opening 45 minutes of the game, and then managed just four more touches before being substituted in the 72nd minute. For added context, his replacement, Tyler Dibling, managed 24 touches after coming on and playing the rest of the game.

Johnson also failed to complete a cross, didn't take a single shot, completed just six passes, and didn't even attempt a single dribble. Defensively, he was little use either, winning just 2/6 ground duels, and losing every aerial duel.

Everton essentially played with 10 men for the first 72 minutes against the reigning champions, and Moyes will be surely regretting ever giving that deal the green light considering the way it has gone so far.

Johnson Must Face Lengthy Spell on Sideline

While the Everton squad is relatively thin on options after a poor summer transfer window, Moyes knows that he has got options at his disposal, and now he must use them.

Johnson has started five of the eight Premier League games so far and offered next to nothing in the attack. It's not good enough for a player to underperform and keep playing, especially when a talent like Tyler Dibling is available and ready to make an impact.

Dibling has had a tough time of things since moving to Merseyside, but he is clearly very talented and has quality. If he can't get a chance to play when his rivals are playing this badly, then there isn't much point in him being at the club.

Whether it's Dibling, or even George moving across to the opposite wing, Moyes simply cannot afford to play Johnson in upcoming games.