Arsenal regained their position at the top of the Premier League standings, at least temporarily, as they defeated Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. The match had a sense of ease and calm as Arsenal secured their 12th league win of the season. Brighton, who had played in a Europa League match on Thursday, seemed fatigued and struggled to keep up with Arsenal for much of the first hour.
After a first half of controlling the game with low intensity, Mikel Arteta’s team, who had not made any changes since their strong performance and loss at Villa Park the previous week, came out with renewed energy. Arsenal had 16 attempts on goal in the first half, and held possession and territory, but lacked a cutting edge and accuracy. The half ended in a similar fashion to how it began, with Bukayo Saka cutting inside from the left and sending a shot over the bar, causing frustration among the team and fans.
As the game resumed, there was an increase in movement, overlaps, and aggression in attack. However, Brighton’s first goal came from a sequence of precise passes within their own box. Jack Hinshelwood intercepted Saka’s attempt to break through on the right side. The Brighton defense then executed a complex passing pattern in their penalty area, likely trying to draw Arsenal in and create openings while avoiding the counter-press. However, they were rushed and pressured, resulting in an unnecessary corner being given away.
Saka claimed possession and kicked the ball towards the goal with great force. Jan Paul van Hecke unintentionally redirected it, and Gabriel Jesus quickly lowered his head to score the unmarked point from close range.
From that point on, Arsenal intensified their effort. Declan Rice was dominating the midfield with his positioning. Kai Havertz was able to find openings on the left side. Despite a triple substitution from Roberto De Zerbi, Arsenal remained at ease playing defensively as Billy Gilmour’s involvement in the midfield increased. Both Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard had opportunities to increase the lead before Havertz scored a second goal towards the end.
Havertz had been relying on sympathy during the fall season, only staying afloat thanks to the occasional pity-penalty. However, prior to the game, he received Arsenal’s player of the month award and posed awkwardly with the trophy (as usual for him, he tends to do things awkwardly unless stated otherwise. He has even won the Champions League in an awkward manner). This marks his fourth goal in the past four weeks.
At the start of the game, the Emirates Stadium was cold and dull, with a hint of holiday decorations. Within 50 seconds, Saka made his first attempt at getting past James Milner, who defended with determination and successfully stopped the attack. This was a recurring theme throughout the first half, with Milner relying on sheer determination instead of advanced defensive skills.
At times, it created an exciting dynamic, despite a slow start to the first half. Arsenal maintained dominance, with Rice effortlessly navigating the midfield like a three-masted ship. However, Brighton is unfazed by being controlled, as it aligns with their strategy.
After thirty minutes, Ødegaard made the most impressive pass of the day. It was a mesmerizing, back-spun, curved move that skillfully found its way through a narrow opening on the left side of Brighton’s defense, setting up Saka for a shot. Unfortunately, Martinelli’s attempt went over the bar.
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Arteta once again left a noticeable impression on the game as he received another booking just before the first half ended due to a fit of anger on the sideline. Kaoru Mitoma had fouled Saka and then quickly moved on with the ball. In response, Arteta jumped around strangely with his hands in the air, resembling a stranded man on a remote island catching a glimpse of a passing ship before it disappears into the horizon.
Mitoma received a booking. Arteta was also given a booking and responded by throwing his head back in surprise. What did he anticipate? The foul had already been called. There was no reasonable explanation for his exaggerated reaction.
If not for this, the match would have been extremely satisfying for Arsenal and their manager. This is a relatively new match, as only about one-third of all Arsenal versus Brighton games have occurred with Arteta as the manager. Despite this, Brighton has become somewhat of a troublesome opponent in that time. However, they were mostly kept at a distance during the game. In the final ten minutes, Pascal Gross had a chance to tie the game after great teamwork by Mitoma, but he missed from four yards away. Havertz then solidified the win with a great goal after another fast attack on the left side.
Source: theguardian.com
