The festive period is my favourite time of year, but I don’t need The Arsenal giving away gifts. We need to be stingy at the back, but gluttonous in the frontline. I want to see our attackers stuff their faces with goals… until the net is bursting at the seams.
We have a tricky run of Premier League fixtures coming up, and all in a short space of time… so it’d be nice to set the right tone in this game, to help carry us through the rest.
A convincing win against The Seagulls, will increase confidence, and help the players to power through on tired legs, ignore mental exhaustion, take little niggling injuries in their stride, and reduce the pressure they’re undoubtedly feeling.
We’re the home side, this is OUR house… these are OUR CHIPS… and we’ve got the blend of salt, and vinegar, juuussst right. We MUST protect them from the unruly Seagulls… eat up the three points, and wash it down, with an extended stay at the top of the Premier League.
Like I said… SET THE TONE… so I can cheer gleefully, in my baritone.
As a few players were rested against Crystal Palace, I believe Mikel Arteta would’ve liked to recall the players, who make up his “Best Eleven”.
David Raya returned in goal, Rice at right-back… YES… DECLAN RICE AT RIGHT-BACK!! Jurrien Timber had a knock, and was unavailable for selection.
Saliba and Hincapie, were in central defence… and Lewis-Skelly started at left-back, due to an injury to Calafiori, during the warm-up.
To say injuries have become a reoccurring theme for Arsenal, over the past two seasons… is an understatement. The adaptability of the players though, and their positive attitude, when being asked to play out of position, is an admirable quality to have in a squad.
The midfield was Odegaard, Zubimendi, and Merino.
Up front, it was Saka on the right, Gyokeres through the middle, and Trossard on the left.
We started the game well, and seemed determined to exact our revenge on a Brighton team, that we drew at home against last season.
Our movement was excellent, our passing… incisive, and our overall play, was mesmeric.
The Brighton players could do nothing, except stand and admire. The Arsenal were cruising , and the inevitability of us scoring the opening goal, became more, and more, apparent.
In the 14th minute, Saka caused havoc down the right, spotted Odegaard on the edge of the box, and squared the ball to him. Odegaard created more space for himself, shaped to shoot like he was aiming for the keeper’s far post, and at the last second… he blasted the ball to the keeper’s near post. It was a wonderful goal from the skipper, and a well-deserved goal for us. 1-0 to The Arsenal!!
We continued to control the game, and The Seagulls had no answers, for the questions Arsenal were asking.
Saka beat his man at will, on that right side… and repeatedly put sumptuous balls into the box… but no one could get on the end of it, and dim Brighton’s light.
Chances for Zubimendi, and Trossard, should’ve put the game beyond doubt, but they failed to convert, so alas…the doubts, remain.
On the stroke of half-time, a searching ball was played down the left to Gyokeres, that he was more than happy to chase. He shrugged of the chasing defender, like a minor inconvenience, and continued on his goal quest.
Verbruggen, the Brighton goalkeeper, sprinted off his line, and clattered Gyokeres, while making no attempt to play the ball. It was a clear red card offence… but the referee saw the incident differently, and only showed Verbruggen a yellow card. Ludicrous officiating, when we play Brighton… is becoming all too commonplace. It was an awful decision, first by the referee… and then, by VAR.
Incompetent officiating, has long become part and parcel, of the Arsenal experience… UNFORTUNATELY!!
The first half ended 1-0 to The Arsenal… but it should’ve been more. So much more.
We started the second half in similar fashion to the first. In complete control, and looking likely to score.
Odegaard had a shot that was deflected over, and the resulting corner, was taken by makeshift right-back, Declan Rice.
Rice put a dangerous, and also inviting ball, into the Brighton box. A ball that was so inviting, the Brighton striker, Georginio Rutter… headed the ball into his own net. An own goal, 2-0 to The Arsenal.
We’re flush with technical ability in our team, and we take quality corners, from both sides. This causes a level of fear, uncertainty, and pandemonium, in the opposition box… whenever we get a set-piece… and our recent serge in own goals, merely underlines that fact.
Brighton reacted well to us scoring our second goal, and began to see more of the ball.
In the 64th minute, some sloppy defending led to Yasin Ayari, producing a shot out of nowhere, that struck the post. The ball went straight to Diego Gomez, and he fired the ball in, emphatically. The goal was absolutely against the run of play, in the context of the game, but the scoreboard still read 2-1, nonetheless.
Again, we failed to finish a team off, and again, we paid the price for it.
An unwelcomed nervousness, could be felt among the Arsenal faithful, and a portion of said nervousness, was transmitted to the Arsenal players.
We were now less assured in our play, and were giving the ball away cheaply.
The Gunners seemed to be taking aim at their own feet, committed to shooting themselves, in the proverbial foot.
Arteta responded, and made some changes.
In the 71st minute… Gabriel Magalhaes, fit again, but not fit enough to start a match as yet, came on for Lewis-Skelly. This meant Hencapie would shift to left-back, and Big Gabby, would take his rightful place next to Saliba. The dynamic defensive duo, were back together again! They had been apart for too long… and it was good to see Gabriel back.
Gabriel Jesus also came on, and he replaced Viktor Gyokeres.
Brighton continued to push for an equaliser, and Arsenal continued push my emotions, to the limit. For reasons unbeknown to me, Arsenal have decided that my heart rate, is their plaything.
Arsenal began to drop deep, involuntarily… and we almost invited Brighton onto us.
After some good, one-touch football by Brighton, on the edge of our box… the ball was played to Yankuba Minteh, and he unleashed a powerful, curling shot, that looked destined to go beyond David Raya, and end up in the net.
Raya though, and his superhuman agility… pulled off a magnificent save, that he had no right making. He dived full stretch to his right, got a big right-hand to the shot, and somehow… kept the score-line in Arsenal’s favour. It really was sensational goalkeeping, from the Arsenal No.1
It was a pivotal moment in the game, and could go on to be a pivotal moment, in the title race.
In the 82nd minute, Martinelli replaced Trossard.
It was good to see that Martinelli was able to shake off the injury he sustained, in the game against Crystal Palace.
Saka sprinted down the right, beat his man, and drilled a low, pinpoint pass, to Martinelli. He unfortunately, fluffed his lines from close range, and was waaaay off target.
Yet ANOTHER opportunity, was squandered.
The Starboy was involved again, when the ball was flicked through to him, and he found himself in behind the Brighton defence… with only their centre-back, Lewis-Dunk, for company.
As Saka was slightly ahead of him, and bearing down on goal… I was getting ready to celebrate our 3rd goal.
Dunk though, managed to make a last ditch tackle, and Brighton were let off the hook, AGAIN.
Our Starboy should’ve definitely scored there.
We managed to see the rest of the game out, and it finished 2-1 to The Arsenal. It was a hard fought three points… and the three points took us back to the top of the table.
It was the perfect response to Manchester City’s win, earlier in the day… and it once again showed that we have the mental strength to cope with the pressure, and see this title race through to the end.
The fact that our preparation for the game was disrupted, right before kick-off, due to injury… and we still won the game, and we still created an abundance of chances, says A LOT about the character of this Arsenal team.
In our last two Premier League games, we’ve beaten two of the teams, that we dropped points against last season. Our ability to find a way to win, when not at our best, shouldn’t be overlooked.
Our adaptability, when we lose key players to injury… shouldn’t be overlooked.
The consistency we’ve shown this season, shouldn’t be overlooked. All these things should be praised, as these are the attributes that turn a very good football team, into a great football team.
I’ll let others dwell on any negatives from the game. Me on the other hand… I’ve already turned my thoughts to the Aston Villa game.
Talk to me people…
Do you think us creating a plethora of chances, in our last few games, will inevitably lead to us scoring A LOT MORE goals? (Personally, I do)
Do you think Odegaard is getting back to his best?
Do you agree with my match analysis?
As always, let me know in the comments. COYG!!
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