The birds have done for Arsenal.
Eagles & Seagulls 5 Arsenal 1.
Injuries had a severe effect on the Arsenal performance. The proven midfield platform of Xhaka and Partey disappeared, along with the left back certainty of Tierney.
Arsenal still have a chance of a Champions League place, only three points behind fourth with a game in hand, but a substantially less chance than last week.
Perhaps a more realistic assessment would be that the fight is on for Europa League places it seems – which would still be progress on last season’s eighth place finish. And for the Kroenke’s to dig deeper into their pockets not least to have a deeper squad to cover for injuries.
In many ways Arsenal are victims of their own success, and over-hyping by the media. But we should have expected a dip in form from the youngest Premiership team, which also goes on losing sequences (losing three of the last four) – and who face Man U, Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham in four of the remaining games.
Xhaka came in at left back. Lokonga and Odegaard as the two in midfield and Martinelli back up front. Welbeck was up front for Brighton.
Possession is nine tenths of the law – but not in the last two games. Arsenal had 65% here, with 20 shots and only four on target. The fact that Brighton had as nearly as many fouls as Arsenal goal attempts – tells a tale about their tactics.
It was if Brighton cast a rolling sea fog over the Emirates and then did a smash and grab.
most interceptions and nine duels won
They sat back at first. Bissouma drove forward but with no support.
Arsenal lacked pace, drive and intensity and passed backwards, or at best sideways.
Until Martinelli drove and cut back for Saka, but Smith Rowe was standing in his way.
The best chance came after 26 minutes when Gabriel won a free kick holding his ground as Cucurella dived to head. Saka sent in a looping cross and Gabriel hit the outside of the post with a header.
Soon after, Dunk sent a long ball and found Mwepu in space, vacated by Xhaka, and he cut back into an unguarded area and Belgian international Trossard fired it high past Ramsdale.
Brighton upped the tempo off the ball. They are unbeaten in 7 when scored the first goal. They upped the foul count to disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm resulting in two yellows. But they gained in confidence.
Saka was taken out by Bissouma by kicking his left calf and was yellowed. And was then taken out by Cucurella.
Often Arsenal had no option and no shape – with forward players isolated.
Smith Rowe had a chance in the area but took and extra touch which allowed Dunk to intercept.
Martinelli set up Xhaka to cross abut Cucurella headed wide from a Lacazette challenge. From the corner, Gabriel won a far post header across the goal and Martinelli twisted his neck to head home. After a four-minute wait, VAR judged Martinelli to be offside. How did they achieve a camera angle in a tangle of legs? It was a cruel blow and influenced the course of the second half.
Arteta switched Xhaka into midfield with Martinelli dropping back to left back.
Lokonga went on a direct drive and appeared to be taken down by Caicedo. He looked good driving forward with a couple of accurate shots. But Cedric hit the wall with the free kick.
Arsenal executed some good moves down the wings but didn’t get crosses in from open play.
At the other end, Lacazette flicked a Brighton corner across the goal and fortunately Mac Allister was on his heels. Ramsdale leapt to save from Dunk from the other side.
Nketiah came on for Smith Rowe.
An overlap between Trossard and Caicedo on the left saw a cut back for the unmarked Mwepu on the edge of the area and he caught a half-volley right into the corner of the net. The Zambian, only back from injury last week not only had an assist and a goal but won nine duels and had more interceptions than anyone else on the pitch.
A key moment was when Lacazette was in a shooting position in front of goal, but he chose to pass to Pepe, on for Martinelli, and his shot was blocked.
Saka at last got past the first defender from open play and crossed to Pepe but his shot was blocked by Dunk.
Odegaard hit the crossbar from a free-kick with Nketiah hitting the same spot from the rebound. Odegaard hit a long shot from the same passage of play and Danny Welbeck got a deflection which took it over Sanchez and into the net. Third time lucky.
Nketiah came alive with a couple of chances but couldn’t hit the target.
After the game, Mikel Arteta said: “We made it really difficult for ourselves. We were sloppy, we had no purpose to attack, we were really imprecise and we didn’t want to play forward.
“There are many games to play but we have to be concerned about that performance, especially the first half.”
Premier League: Arsenal 1 Brighton 2
Arsenal: 32Ramsdale, 17Cédric Soares, 4White, 6Gabriel, 34Xhaka, 8Ødegaard (Booked at 39mins), 23Sambi Lokonga (Booked at 82mins), 7Saka (Booked at 50mins), 10Smith Rowe (Substituted for Nketiah at 62’minutes), 35Martinelli (Substituted for Pépé at 74’minutes), 9Lacazette
Brighton: 1Sánchez (Booked at 90mins), 34Veltman, 5Dunk, 3Cucurella, 13Groß (Booked at 40mins), 12Mwepu (Substituted for Lamptey at 77’minutes), 8Bissouma (Booked at 35mins, substituted for Lallana at 74’minutes), 25Caicedo (Booked at 52mins), 11Trossard (Substituted for Webster at 85’minutes), 10Mac Allister, 18Welbeck