Joao Pedro scored from the penalty spot in the second half to give Brighton a 1-1 draw at home with Arsenal on Saturday evening.
Both sides were sorely lacking in fluency in a small, complex competition. Arsenal struggled to create any significant chances after Ethan Nwaneri's opening goal in the 16th minute, while Brighton faltered due to their rapid progress in the final third.
Pedro won and converted a penalty on the hour mark to ensure his side got the point which – based on the overall balance of play – was the least they deserved.
How the game unfolded
While Fabian Horzler was doing his best to point out the positives BrightonAnd with the team's performance – rather than their points total – in recent weeks, Mikel Arteta has had no need for such mental gymnastics. The Gunners started with the confidence of a new team after a 12-match unbeaten run, and were close to qualifying Gabriel Jesus Before Ethan Nwaniri broke the deadlock.
Arsenal's impressive teenager has put in a lot of effort without any end product of his own Full Premier League debut against Brentford In midweek, but he got a deserved goal at South Coast. Nwaniri cut in on his powerful left foot from the right flank, sliding the ball under Bart Verbruggen with a perfect shot. injured countrymanBukayo Saka would have been happy with it.
Brighton were emboldened by going behind, and enjoyed a flurry of forward attacks either side of the second half. However, the unfamiliar seagulls seemed intent on finding new and increasingly innovative ways to briefly squander these promising increases.
A misguided challenge from William Saliba inadvertently ensured that another Brighton attack would not fail. Joao Pedro manipulated the ball inside the crowded penalty area in an attractive way ArsenalThe French centre-back in an aerial challenge saw him make exclusive contact with the striker's scalp. Brighton's number nine dusted himself off to score the penalty.
Arteta brought Martin Odegaard off the bench for the final 25 minutes, but it was the home side who came closest to snatching all three points. While the Arsenal captain faltered during the closing stages, the Seagulls continued to press. By the time the final whistle blew in a humid corner of the south coast, Brighton would have been more disappointed with the point than their title-chasing visitors.
Check out the player ratings from the Brighton vs Arsenal match here.
A raucous Brighton ground rocked the Songbook after a late run on Saturday night. Instead of praising their players, the south coast fans criticized Arsenal's deceit.
Nwaniri was booked for a time-wasting in first-half stoppage time, but justified grumbling about the resumption of hard-fought play began within the first half-hour. “Boring, boring Arsenal” was a fair description for the visitors, who were only willing to venture forward when there was a corner kick to attack. The north London side recorded a pathetic 0.44 xG from open play on Saturday, sorely missing Saka and an in-form version of Odegaard.
“We have to continue to be like a hammer, to be there every day, every day, every day,” Arteta demanded earlier this week. The Gunners can be content with being 'there' for the full 90 minutes of the game before they set their sights on anything more ambitious.
Remarkably, a player born eight months after the opening of the Emirates Stadium has already been touted as Arsenal's next big hope. Make him second Premier League Starting in the space of four days, Nwaniri was full of the same brilliant clicks and brilliant ideas that punctuated the tournament against Brentford in midweek.
However, the inevitable grip of fatigue began to creep into the fringes of the teenager's game as Saturday's first half wore on. Nwaniri – like many of his team-mates – was guilty of some loose touches and, unlike Arsenal's typical set-piece specialists, volleyed two incomplete corner balls while turning.
For his own benefit more than the team's, Arteta removed Nwaniri at half-time. The Spanish coach recently lamented that Arsenal will never be able to repeat that BarcelonaThe famous academy system, however, would be wise to avoid the way the Catalans have chronically overrated these young gems.
Make him Premier League Almost a month later, the metaphorical rust that easily appears between 33-year-old Jorginho's limbs was evident on the AMEX. The metronome at the base of midfield never matched the tempo of the game.
On numerous occasions throughout the hour he spent wandering around the pitch, Jorginho was robbed, robbed and bullied by the young stewards. Even the Italian's trademark glance at the referee when appealing for a non-existent foul failed to deal with Anthony Taylor. It may take more than another month before Jorginho is called up again.
Arsenal's victory on Saturday would have put the Gunners just three points ahead of Liverpool. However, the frustrating stalemate ensures the gap could reach eight points if the Reds beat Manchester United on Sunday. As expected. The Merseyside club will still have a game in hand after the weekend's fixtures.
The idea of a title race was spurious at best given the brutal manner of Liverpool's campaign so far, but Arteta retained hope of slipping away from Arne Slott's side.
“If someone wins all the games, congratulate them and let's move on to next season, but if they don't, which has never happened in history, then we will be there,” the Gunners coach recently declared. Liverpool may suffer a dip in form over the next five months, but the idea that Arsenal will be able to capitalize on any hypothetical mistake seems increasingly fanciful.
