Report: Brighton continues impressive shape to give up Arsenal home run
Brighton was the last away team to win at the Emirates Stadium, doing so last season, and on Wednesday night they became the first away team to win here in this campaign. A bogey crew for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal? It certainly felt that way on Wednesday night, as Roberto De Zerbi’s players continued their impressive shape with another inventive performance against a larger side.
Arsenal had played a total of 12 home matches because of their loss at home to Brighton in April. They had won them all. And then Brighton rolled into north London again, with a new manager but an equally expansive approach.
Just as they have been in their current thrashing of Chelsea, De Zerbi’s side was great in lengthy spells here. The league leaders have been much-changed for this League Cup tie, admittedly, however so had Brighton. If this was once a warfare of the B teams, it used to be a contest emphatically won by the boys in blue and white. “We can play better,” stated De Zerbi. “We made mistakes but anyway I am joyful about this win.”
In the wider image of their season, with the Europa League to fear and a potential title cost beginning to materialise, it is no disaster that Arsenal have dropped out of the League Cup. Defeat surely brings a loss of momentum, however, and a large amount of frustration.
“The result does not reflect what happened on the pitch,” stated Arteta, who was once still fairly happy with the performance of his fringe players. “The way the boys tried tonight and played with the number of changes we had to make to shield the players, I am truly pleased with that. But of course, we wanted to continue in the competition and unfortunately, we are out.”
Arsenal took the lead in the first 1/2 thanks to a quality aim from Eddie Nketiah, who curled into the aways nook after Reiss Nelson had sliced via the Brighton midfield.
But Brighton was allowed to return to the game following an error via Karl Hein, Arsenal’s 20-year-old debutant goalkeeper. As he got here out of his goal to collect an overhit pass, Hein slipped. By the time he had regained his footing, the ball used to be past him. Down went Danny Welbeck, obviously fouled, and the Brighton ahead happily buried the resulting penalty against his former club.
Arsenal went on to dominate at the start of the 2nd 1/2 but Brighton carried masses of risk still, especially following the introduction of Japan international Kaoru Mitoma. The winger has been in thrilling shape in recent weeks and his end here, curled into the same nook that Nketiah observed in the first half, used to be a measure of his confidence.
Arsenal, with a game to chase, has been now leaving huge areas in their midfield. Brighton sensed the chance to counter and Tariq Lamptey’s searing tempo did the harm to their 0.33 goal. Billy Gilmour produced some pleasant work in the centre of the pitch, placing up the onrushing Lamptey, who completed underneath the diving Hein.
