After the win against Aston Villa, Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium. This game included a ridiculous red card for Declan Rice. Referee Chris Kavanaugh, who has made many decisions that disadvantage the Gunners over the years, officiated the match in Brighton’s favor rather obviously. In other words, Kavanaugh cheated Arsenal out of two points. Without further ado, let’s discuss this controversial match in our Arsenal 24-25 part 2 article.
Arsenal 24-25 Part 2: The Defense Could Have Been Better
It may be a bit harsh to criticize the Gunners’ defense when the team was playing with 10 men for most of the second half. However, Arsenal still could have defended a bit better. Gabriel Magalhaes in particular could have done much better to prevent Brighton’s goal. Gabriel also made a significant mistake last week against Aston Villa. This is unlike him, but he needs to be better moving forward.
David Raya deserves credit for helping the Gunners manage to get a draw. Raya isn’t to blame for Brighton’s goal. The Spanish keeper has continued his strong performances that saw him win the Premier League Golden Glove last season.
Timber also played well and ensured that Brighton didn’t overwhelm Arsenal due to their numerical advantage. Jurrien Timber had a strong debut against Aston Villa and followed it up with another good performance against Brighton. It is already clear that Timber is a difference-maker for the Gunners.
Ben White defended intelligently and supported Saka in attack, as usual. White is consistently good, if not better. Unfortunately, thanks to Kavanaugh’s absurd decision, White didn’t have an opportunity to do much in attack in the second half.
Riccardo Calafiori had a great game off the bench. He might have scored a match-winning goal if Odegaard had made the correct pass. Still, Calafiori appears ready for the Premier League and may even start games at this rate. We will see what happens.
Arsenal’s defense did enough to secure a draw, but Gabriel should have done far better to stop Brighton’s goal.
The Midfield Was Poor Overall
The Gunners’ midfield is usually one of its strong suits. However, that was not the case against Brighton. Arsenal’s midfield performed poorly overall. Martin Odegaard had a difficult game, working hard but failing to impact the game as much as he normally does with his creativity. Odegaard notably missed a final pass to Calafiori that could have led to a match-winning Arsenal goal.
Declan Rice played poorly, even disregarding the incomprehensible red card he received. Rice didn’t protect the Gunners’ defense well and he didn’t make much of an impact going forward. Hopefully, Arsenal can get Rice’s red card overturned. If so, Rice needs to play far better in the crucial North London Derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the Gunners return from the international break.
Thomas Partey was the best of the midfield trio. Partey was good on the ball and made some good passes. Despite this, his capability out of possession is still questionable. Partey didn’t do enough to control the midfield.
Brighton dominated possession in this match. Rice’s ridiculous red card played a part in that, but Arsenal’s midfield deserves criticism for its overall performance, as well.
Arsenal 24-25 Part 2: The Attack Was Lacking
Arsenal’s attack disappointed in this match. Bukayo Saka had a great game and notched another assist to continue his phenomenal start to the season. Saka did all this despite no protection from the officials as Brighton players fouled him constantly with few repercussions. Saka’s quality is one of the main reasons his jersey is extremely popular among fans.
On the left, Trossard replaced Martinelli. However, Trossard is not the quickest winger and didn’t impact the game as much as Arteta would have liked. Martinelli starting would have been better, given how Brighton play so aggressively. Hopefully, Trossard returns healthy from the international break.
Kai Havertz scored an incredible goal against Brighton. Havertz lobbed the Brighton keeper brilliantly near the end of the first half. Havertz stated he wants to score 20 Premier League goals these season. If he continues playing like this, he will achieve that goal.
Martinelli unfortunately didn’t take advantage of his playing time when introduced. His confidence has clearly taken a hit. It would be ideal if Martinelli played well on international duty and returned to Arsenal with renewed confidence. He is a difference-maker for the club at his best.
Manager Rating: 6.5/10
Arteta receives a 6.5/10 for the draw against Brighton. Starting Trossard was the wrong decision and Arsenal’s midfield appeared unprepared for Brighton’s press. Arteta didn’t make midfield changes quickly enough. Blaming Arteta for the absurd red card Rice received is unfair. Still, Mikel Arteta could have done a better job in this match and receives a 6.5/10 manager rating as a result.
Arsenal Plays Tottenham Away Next
The next game for Arsenal is a massive North London Derby against Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Gunners may be without Declan Rice for this match. In either case, this is a must-win game for Arsenal, given the dropped points against Brighton. Hopefully, Arsenal beats Tottenham away once again and bounces back from the draw against Brighton.
Check back next week for more Arsenal content.