Phil Jagielka: Self belief needs to make an Everton comeback

In their previous game, Everton were pegged back from 2-0 ahead shortly before the break to 2-2 at home to Newcastle United.

And Jagielka said: "At half-time we were looking okay, but we've heard that one before already this season. The first half went to plan, and the second half didn't.

"You can see there are a little bit of nerves among the squad, and from that goal Arsenal went from strength to strength, put us under immense presence and created five or six more chances.

"If you give Arsenal any sort of encouragement at the Emirates, then it's hard to calm them down, especially given the freedom they play and the way they like to express themselves.

"We need to start backing ourselves a little bit more. We weren't particularly nervous at 0-0, so why should we be nervous at 1-1? It's something we need to address.

"We are playing better than we did at the start of the season, but the results are pretty much the same."

Everton have now conceded 18 goals in eight league games, the worst record in the top flight. They have also not kept a clean sheet in their last 16 games, their worst sequence since the 1975-76 season.

Moyes's men ensured 20 shut- outs last season, and Jagielka added: "It's hard to put a finger on why we've stopped keeping clean sheets. In the first half, Arsenal had a few opportunities but, all in all, considering it was at the Emirates it was quite a quiet half for them.

"We then shot ourselves in the foot at the start of the second half by not clearing the ball properly and they had a good finish.

"It's a hard place to come, and had we got anything out of the game then people would have said that is a positive step.

"We would prefer to be putting two good consecutive halves together in each game, but at the moment it doesn't seem to be working like that.

"We've got to start doing that. We've got Man United next and that's going to be another hard game, and we'll have to keep it together for the whole game next week."

Osman, Joleon Lescott and Yakubu all had chances to extend Everton's advantage before Arsenal's second-half revival.

"It would have been nice to go 2-0 up," said Jagielka. "As it was, 1-0 up should have been good enough for something from the game but it wasn't.

"Our gameplan worked in the first half. We hit them with an early goal and didn't give them too many opportunities. But it only takes Arsenal to put 10-15 minutes together against any team, and they'll cause problems.

"Unfortunately for us, when they had that opportunity with us they took it with both hands.

"But we have to take some encouragement from the first-half performance. It can't all be doom and gloom."