Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal stay unbeaten thus far this season, however the excellent begin to the marketing campaign was halted after a 1-1 draw with Brighton yesterday.
The one change from the aspect that beat Aston Villa was the deserved return of Leandro Trossard to the beginning line-up, and I assumed this sport had an identical type of vibe to final week’s encounter. Brighton arrange with a line of 4 gamers excessive up the pitch each time we had possession on the again, trying to reduce off passing lanes by means of the center.
So, we discovered pleasure out extensive, specifically by means of Bukayo Saka who gave Jack Hinshelwood a troublesome time within the opening levels. I felt like we had been constructing our means into the sport, steadily and with confidence, however Brighton had been boosted by an damage. It appears unusual to say it, however Yasin Ayari changing James Milner early on gave their midfield extra dynamism, and I don’t assume we had been helped by Martin Odegaard taking a heavy kick on the knee. He by no means appeared to be fairly himself after that.
Not lengthy earlier than, the captain had an incredible probability to attain, however like Saka in a few moments beforehand, the conviction wasn’t fairly there within the end. On the different finish, we had a scrappy 30 seconds which noticed Karou Mitoma shoot extensive, however as we headed in the direction of half-time, we discovered a means by means of. Saka was too sturdy for Lewis Dunk, he performed the ball over the defender for the onrushing Kai Havertz, who lobbed the goalkeeper with a phenomenal end to make it 1-0.
That was a type of moments the place you count on Havertz to attain, however wouldn’t have been that shocked if the ball bounced simply extensive. I noticed him speak about wanting to attain 20 targets this season, and people are the moments that may get him near that tally. It was scientific and environment friendly, and simply what you need out of your centre-forward in a decent sport.
The primary speaking level of the sport although is what occurred early within the second half. Already on a deserved yellow from the primary half, Declan Rice was issued a second by referee Chris Kavanagh for evenly tipping the ball, after which getting booted by Joel Veltman. Let me say this, I’m not focused on any ‘letter of the regulation’ nonsense round this incident, as a result of no participant needs to be despatched off for that. Not even a Tottenham participant, that’s how strongly I really feel about this.
It’s totally absurd to make a workforce play with 10 males for that ‘offence’, for all types of causes. First, the ball is rolling, it’s not even a authorized free kick, and we will all see what Veltman is making an attempt to do – that’s get an opponent despatched off. He’s not making an attempt to get the sport restarted by taking part in a cross to a teammate, he was making an attempt kick it at Rice within the hope the ref would give him a second yellow for not getting out the way in which.
Secondly, if Rice brushing the ball together with his foot is deemed worthy of a second yellow card, why was there no yellow card within the first half for Joao Pedro who actually booted the ball away to forestall us from taking a throw in whereas he would have been barely out of place? Simply to be clear, I don’t actually have a problem with that not being a yellow card by itself, however once you apply the principles to 1 workforce and never the opposite, it’s infuriating – particularly when it ends in the final word sanction for a participant within the form of a purple card. Additionally, that is the type of factor that occurs numerous occasions in each single sport with out gamers being booked, in order that type of inconsistency permeates this complete scenario.
That’s the reason the letter of the regulation nonsense ought to go proper within the bin, and why I’m not of a thoughts to hearken to any criticism of Rice. The referee may have simply come over and mentioned ‘Lads, simply get on with it’, and there would have been few complaints (past no card for Veltman kicking Rice that onerous). As for the Brighton supervisor Fabian Hurzeler insisting it was a yellow card as a result of Rice ‘shoots the ball away’, whereas insisting you’ll be able to’t examine/give a yellow to Pedro for doing the identical factor (however way more clearly), that’s the type of factor that drives me mad.
He had the chance to do the sport some service by saying ‘Yeah, we acquired a bit fortunate, you don’t wish to see gamers despatched off for that’, however as a substitute he backed up what is likely one of the most appalling bits of officiating you’ll see all season. He’s not on my Christmas card listing, that’s for certain (except I ship playing cards saying ‘I hope your turkey is overly dry and the cat pisses within the gravy, you prick’). I’d put a really giant guess down that no different participant will likely be despatched off that between now and Could, and no matter how this determination continues to be justified by media and pundits (and little question ESPN’s PGMOL Pravda Propagandist), it’s an absurdity that we needed to play a lot of the second half with 10 males for one thing as asinine and nonsensical as that.
Brighton’s equaliser got here as we had been making ready to make a change and alter our form. An excellent ball from Dunk noticed Minteh get between William Saliba and Gabriel. David Raya saved the preliminary shot, but it surely fell for Joao Pedro who slotted house for 1-1. For as soon as this season the centre-halves acquired caught out positionally, and once you watch replays, the way in which the goalscorer ran off Thomas Partey does nothing to assuage my considerations about his means to maintain up with the pacier legs of the opposition we face. I additionally assume he switched off, responsible of ball-watching, and when that occurs on this league, you get punished.
Riccardo Calafiori got here on as we shifted to a again 5, an fascinating change, however one I believe dictated to by what we had on the bench. Ideally you’d in all probability deliver on one other midfielder, however I don’t assume Partey and Jorginho in a ten-man workforce towards the type of gamers Brighton have would have been the best transfer. Even so, we had possibilities. Havertz did rather well to regulate and burst by means of, just for the keeper to make an excellent save. Might Saka have gone down within the field from the rebound? I believe so, however you’ll be able to’t blame him for backing himself to have a go at objective.
It was Havertz once more who made an incredible probability for Saka on the again submit, however he was simply on the stretch and couldn’t make the best contact. On the again, I assumed Ben White was excellent, the 2 centre-halves rediscovered their solidity, whereas the protected fingers of Raya from crosses and set-pieces actually helped us stand up to the stress Brighton put us underneath. However the truth they created so little in on a regular basis that they had with an additional man is a giant credit score to the organisation and self-discipline of the complete workforce.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
With 10 males, the workforce reacted unbelievably nicely, the stadium reacts unbelievably nicely and we must always have gained the sport.
And on the sending off, he selected his phrases rigorously:
I used to be amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed due to how inconsistent choices will be. Within the first half, there have been two incidents and nothing occurred. This amazed me, at this stage. I’ll repeat myself. By regulation, you wish to do it however you didn’t do it within the first half. After which we’ve to play 11 towards 10. Quite simple.
As I mentioned above, if Pedro had been booked for kicking the ball away within the first half, we may don’t have any complaints concerning the Rice incident this morning, however that’s not what occurred. The foundations had been utilized otherwise to us, and that’s simply basically unfair. It additionally means we’ll be with out him for the North London derby after the Interlull so it looks like a double-whammy.
Nonetheless, if we all know something about Mikel Arteta and the way he operates, he’ll use this in one of the best ways he can. It’s removed from supreme, but it surely is likely to be helpful by way of constructing an ‘us towards them’ mentality, that’s my solely slight silver-lining round this at present. So, we stay unbeaten, and now we hope that our gamers who go away on worldwide obligation come again protected and sound.
I’ll go away it there for now, have Sunday everybody, and we’ll chat extra about all this within the Arsecast Additional tomorrow.
