FINALLY, our very first 3 o’clock kick-off of the season. I like a normal, non-televised, 3 o’clock kick-off… as that’s when we sometimes, do our best work.
It’ll be a 3 week international break after this round of fixtures, so we HAVE TO make it count.
The international break feels 10 times longer, if your team has suffered a defeat… and it’s already an extended break.
The Gunners are on the gully side… as we go up against The Seagulls, at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton always give us a difficult game, whether it’s home, or away… and this one will be no different.
The Seagulls are on form at the moment, and have just beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford, in the Carabao Cup.
They came back from 2 goals down, and won the game 3-2… playing expansive, attacking football.
They’ll be confident going into this game, no doubt… but I feel their attacking style will suit us, and we’ll exploit those spaces that they’ll inevitably leave behind.
The Gunners are coming into this game on the back of a convincing 4-2 win over Ipswich, and have won 6 games in-a-row, in all competitions.
This is our fourth away game on the spin, so it’d be an incredible effort from the players… to take all 3 points.
The starting line-up was Raya in goal, Calafiori at left-back, Gabriel and Konsa, central… and Jurrien Timber at right-back.
Bruno Guimaraes, and Declan Rice, started together in central midfield, for the first time… and just in front of them, was Tzolis on the left, Odegaard in the No.10 role, and Bukayo Saka on the right.
Leading the attack, was Kai Havertz.
The game started at a pace that couldn’t possibly be sustained, for the full 90 minutes.
Brighton flew out the traps, like a greyhound with its tail on fire. They were by far the better team in the early stages of the match.
They caught us cold, and we looked like a team that were struggling to navigate our fourth away game in-a-row.
The Seagulls were winning the second balls, they were going in harder in the tackles, they were winning all the duels, and their attacking threat looked far superior to ours.
In addition to that, they were closing down the space quickly, and forcing us into errors.
It wasn’t until around the 20th minute, when we got the ball down and started playing. We even had a sustained period of possession too… but, it didn’t last very long.
In the 31st minute, some sloppy play from The Gunners, gave Brighton an opportunity to have a shot on goal.
The ball was played to Pascal GroB on the edge of the box, and he fired the ball past an unsighted David Raya. 1-0 to Brighton… and deservedly so too.
I expected a an immediate response from us, but evidently… my expectations were too high, because we continued to play poorly.
Misplaced passes, and being easily dispossessed, became the theme of our game. We were there for the taking, and Brighton knew it.
On the stroke of half-time, in the 45th minute… Kostoulas doubled Brighton’s lead, with a fierce shot from outside the box.
We were once again guilty of being sloppy at the back, which is something that hasn’t been associated with The Arsenal, for a few years now. 2-0 to Brighton.
The referee blew the whistle for half-time, and the Brighton players were cheered, and applauded off the pitch, by the home fans… and rightly so.
The Seagulls pecked our eyes out, like we were victims in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic movie ‘The Birds’.
When the second half began, I still felt confident that we could at least get a draw out of this game… based on the form we showed at the end of last season, and the form shown at start of this one.
Alas, our form had abandoned us, and The Seagulls continued to peck… flap their wings violently, and steal our chips.
The Gunners were armed with faulty weaponry, and zero ammunition.
In the 57th minute, The Seagulls swooped in once again.
Andres scored from a corner. He was allowed to head the ball in, unchallenged, and while in acres of space. 3-0 Brighton.
I didn’t recognise my team… I don’t know who this FARCENAL was… but they were hurting my feelings.
Arteta brought on Zubimendi, and Merino… for Guimaraes, and Timber, in the 60th minute.
Gyokeres, and Eze, were also brought on, for Tzolis, and Odegaard, in the 73rd minute.
Max Dowman replaced Saka in the 81st minute.
None of the substitutions made a difference Arsenal’s fortunes, in fact… Brighton could’ve had 5 or 6 goals, such was their dominance.
The sound of the final whistle felt like mercy. It finished 3-0 to The Seagulls.
We were never going to win every game, I know this… but it’s the manor of the defeat that I find hard to accept.
Too many of our “Big players” went missing today, and it was glaringly obvious, that our attack lack the required potency, to score goals week-in, week-out, at this level.
Yes, we have made an excellent start to the season, and I’ve alluded to that… BUT, performances like this are a harsh reminder, that our attack is still devoid of ruthlessness in front of goal, and that magical ex-factor type of player, that will show up in games like this.
I believe we have that player in Eze, but he’s not showing the form he’s capable of… YET.
I also think we have that player in Max Dowman, but we shouldn’t be depending on a 16 year old. He must be allowed to develop slowly, and shouldn’t have the weight of expectancy, burdening his young shoulders.
My point is, we ABSOLUTELY should dip into the market, in the January transfer window… for an attacking player, or prepare ourselves for more days like today.
Kai Havertz was a peripheral figure, Tzolis was ineffective… but it’s his first season, so I won’t pass judgement.
Bukayo Saka is concerning me the most, because of late… he looks incapable, or lacks the confidence, to beat the full-back he’s up against.
He either passes the ball inside, runs into trouble, or his cross doesn’t beat the first man.
I love Saka, but he shouldn’t receive special treatment from Arteta. He needs to be taken off when he’s not performing, or have a stint on the bench for a game or two… to help him rediscover the form, that we all know he’s capable of.
It was an awful display collectively, and we looked all over the place at the back… but the defence has been so reliable, so consistent, that they should be allowed a game like this… and should be forgiven quickly, They’ve been THAT good.
There’s no need for The Arsenal to panic, but I hope there’s arguments in the dressing room today, I hope there’s heated confrontations, and civil unrest. I hope there’s extended team meetings, analysing today’s lacklustre performance… because that’ll show that they care.
We need a reminder, as today they played like they DON’T care… and I know they DO!
Now there’s a three week international break, and that’s loooooong time to wait, to put things right. Hopefully all our players return unscathed.
We face Leeds at home next, and only 3 points will do… to get the nasty taste of defeat, away from our pallet.
Does Bukayo Saka need to change position… play more centrally perhaps?
Should we dip into the transfer market in January?
Are you confident that we’ll bounce straight back from this defeat?
Let me know in the comments, as usual… and thanks for reading. COYG!!
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