Arsenal came away from the Emirates having ended a poor run against Brighton and responding perfectly to their defeat at Aston Villa a week prior. Two goals from two key players will make headlines along with Mikel Arteta’s booking.
The win takes Arsenal top of the table thanks to Manchester United’s stubborn draw at Liverpool in a performance that will certainly not inspire much confidence in the home side ahead of the visit of the Gunners next week. It was important that Arsenal simply got the job done against Brighton and Arteta will be very thankful they eventually did just that.
This Arsenal team has shown real grit in fighting back against some adversity on and off the field. The performances had plenty of successes but made it difficult for football.london to find the frustrations on the night which we should know by now is certainly a good thing.
Successes
Kai Havertz scores again
I must have used that sub-heading every single time he has scored and I intend to repeat it every single time from this point forward – not that you’ll have any complaints I am sure. The £65million investment that the club has made was a prediction from the recruitment team and Mikel Arteta himself that Kai Havertz would indeed pay off.
His third Premier League goal in five games and yet another massively important one against a tough side too. What was more encouraging is that it was a different type of goal than what has seen him rise in estimations of the fans so far with his late arrivals into the box.
This time it was on the German to show composure, pace and strong touches before finding a finish past the Brighton keeper. Outside of the goal itself, Havertz was excellent off the ball and was a nuisance all game as he worked tirelessly for his team.
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Stop the rot
Okay, rot would certainly be too strong of a word after two games without a win. The defeat to Aston Villa was of course contentious and the Gunners certainly deserved more than what they got from the game.
However, look to the struggles of Manchester City and their recent run of form. It has left them five points behind Arsenal in the table and the doubt which has perhaps set into their thoughts is a new feeling having been so dominant for so long.
Arsenal’s defeat to Villa and then stalemate in PSV Eindhoven needed to be answered and beyond just the scoreline, the performance was very strong. 26 shots, nine on target and only one shot on the Gunners’ goal conceded represents the perfect reply to a rare tough week.
Putting away bad omens
Brighton have had such a strong record at the Emirates Stadium over the years. In fact, they’d won their last three visits to North London and this raised expectations surrounding their performance which ultimately fell flat on the day.
It was perhaps strange to see a Roberto De Zerbi side lack so much attacking verve in their play. They allowed Arsenal plenty of the ball and clearly had the aim to try and hurt them on the counter but ultimately were lower to very few chances whatsoever as the Gunners managed to control the middle third and turnover possession quickly when they had the chance
Frustrations
Missed chances
It’s a win but if we are being very honest it should have been a rout. Arsenal spurned chance after chance after chance as their stars battered and peppered Bart Verbruggen’s goal – and had Arsenal failed to win, he most certainly would have been worthy of man of the match.
If two players could have scored today, however, seeing both Havertz and Jesus convert was the dream scenario as the former continued his hot streak and the latter answered his critics once again. Yet when it comes to the next challenge and Anfield, Arsenal cannot afford to waste anything that they get on Merseyside. The focus will certainly be on Jesus and company to take the chances that arrive on the night with a chance to solidly prove their title credentials in a big way.
Refereeing chaos
Mikel Arteta was booked for what can only be described as excessive jazz hands. Okay, perhaps waving would be more accurate but whatever the action was it was enough to get the attention of the officials but perhaps not in the way he wanted.
Ben White had been subjected to a challenge from Kaoru Mitoma that had gone unpunished earlier in the game. When the same happened again and the Japanese international looked as though he’d gotten away with it again Arteta had reached the end of his patience.
The strange thing was that Mitoma was then booked in a delayed fashion but Arteta then took one in return. The officials missed several clear and easy calls, such as a corner from a Martin Odegaard shot which sent the Norwegian into a fit of rage and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s clearance was deflected out but the assistant referee flagged for a Brighton throw all the same to the Ukrainian’s dismay.
Arsenal won in spite of the poor officiating. This might need to be a theme of the season if they want to win the title.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
