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2 days ago
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If Arsenal are serious about winning the Premier League this season then Mikel Arteta may want to rethink his plans for the January transfer market. This was another two points dropped in the race to keep up with pacesetters Liverpool as a penalty from João Pedro cancelled out Ethan Nwaneri’s second Premier League goal. But it could have been even worse had Fabian Hürzeler’s side taken their chances in a second half when they were much improved.
Despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 12 matches, Arsenal have become too reliant on their prowess from set pieces and were hanging on at the end in the face of concerted Brighton pressure. Arteta has so far insisted that he is happy with the squad at his disposal yet he surely needs reinforcements in attack given the extended absence of talisman Bukayo Saka and other obstacles that are presenting themselves.
With the prospect of seven more games to come this month, the sickness bug that again meant Arsenal were without Kai Havertz and could only name Martin Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli on the bench was not exactly helpful for Arteta’s plans. He entrusted Nwaneri with a second successive start on the right flank after the teenager impressed on his full Premier League debut against Brentford, while Leandro Trossard – who was booed throughout – was recalled against his former club on the left. Jorginho also returned to the starting lineup for the first time in almost a month alongside Declan Rice and Mikel Merino in a midfield that looked short of creativity without their captain.
Brighton – who were without captain Lewis Dunk due to a calf strain – had only lost once here this season but their home form has been patchy to say the least, with Hürzeler admitting this week that he understands supporters’ frustration at recent results. One of their issues has been scoring enough goals while Danny Welbeck remains sidelined as Matt O’Riley was given an opportunity to support João Pedro in attack. Yet it was at the other end that the hosts showed their fallibility early on when Merino played in Jesus, only for him to be ruled offside after Bart Verbruggen had saved his shot.
Brighton did not heed their warning and were caught out when Rice won the ball on the right touchline and found Merino, whose through ball was perfectly weighted for Nwaneri. He raced away from Jan Paul van Hecke and then beat Verbruggen with a shot that the Brighton goalkeeper should probably have done better with to spark joyous celebrations in the away end. “He’s one of our own,” sang the Arsenal fans.
David Raya needed treatment after being clattered by O’Riley following a Brighton attack but the Arsenal goalkeeper was underemployed for most of the first half as the home side were kept at arms’ length. Even when Simon Adingra was set up by João Pedro after good work down the left by Brajan Gruda, the Ivory Coast forward could not hit the target from 10 yards out.
It needed some nifty footwork from Verbruggen to avoid gifting Arsenal another goal when he was charged down by Jesus before he headed over from a dangerous Rice corner that left the Brazilian on the ground when Merino collided with him.
Nwaneri had been booked just before half-time for delaying taking another corner and he was replaced by Martinelli at the break, while Hürzeler turned to record signing Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh off the bench in an attempt to lift his side.
The Brighton manager’s frustration at referee Anthony Taylor threatened to boil over when another decision went against them at the start of the second half but his side continued to lack a cutting edge. Not unusually, Arsenal’s best hope of extending their lead looked like coming from a set piece and Merino could not make proper contact on a low free-kick from Rice that fizzed across the goalmouth.
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But disaster struck when William Saliba mistimed his challenge on João Pedro inside the Arsenal area and caught the Brighton striker in the face with his head. This time, Taylor came down in favour of the home side and João Pedro dispatched his penalty past Raya to equalise.
Arteta threw on Ødegaard in place of Jorginho, who escaped punishment despite being spotted aiming a kick at Joël Veltman when the penalty was taken. Yet suddenly it was Brighton who sensed an opportunity.
Minteh was inches away from finding Kaoru Mitoma at the back post after a lightning quick break that must have had Arteta fearing the worst. But even though his defence stood firm in the end, this was another reality check for the Arsenal manager.
