Match report – Participant scores – Arteta response – Video

Arsenal stay unbeaten to this point this season, however the good 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 recreation had an identical type of vibe to final week’s encounter. Brighton arrange with a line of 4 gamers excessive up the pitch at any time when we had possession on the again, seeking to minimize off passing lanes via the center.

So, we discovered pleasure out vast, particularly via Bukayo Saka who gave Jack Hinshelwood a troublesome time within the opening levels. I felt like we have been constructing our manner into the sport, steadily and with confidence, however Brighton have 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 have been helped by Martin Odegaard taking a heavy kick on the knee. He by no means gave the impression to be fairly himself after that.

Not lengthy earlier than, the captain had an important 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 vast, however as we headed in the direction of half-time, we discovered a manner via. Saka was too sturdy for Lewis Dunk, he performed the ball over the defender for the onrushing Kai Havertz, who lobbed the goalkeeper with an attractive end to make it 1-0.

That was a kind of moments the place you count on Havertz to attain, however wouldn’t have been that shocked if the ball bounced simply vast. I noticed him discuss wanting to attain 20 objectives this season, and people are the moments that may get him near that tally. It was medical and environment friendly, and simply what you need out of your centre-forward in a decent recreation.

The principle 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 frivolously tipping the ball, after which getting booted by Joel Veltman. Let me say this, I’m not taken with any ‘letter of the regulation’ nonsense round this incident, as a result of no participant must 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 staff play with 10 males for that ‘offence’, for every kind of causes. First, the ball is rolling, it’s not even a authorized free kick, and we are able to all see what Veltman is attempting to do – that’s get an opponent despatched off. He’s not attempting to get the sport restarted by enjoying a go to a teammate, he was attempting kick it at Rice within the hope the ref would give him a second yellow for not getting out the best way.

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 stop 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 difficulty with that not being a yellow card by itself, however whenever you apply the foundations to 1 staff and never the opposite, it’s infuriating – particularly when it leads to the final word sanction for a participant within the form of a purple card. Additionally, that is the type of factor that occurs numerous instances in each single recreation 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 might have simply come over and stated ‘Lads, simply get on with it’, and there would have been few complaints (past no card for Veltman kicking Rice that arduous). 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 possibly can’t evaluate/give a yellow to Pedro for doing the identical factor (however far 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 need to see gamers despatched off for that’, however as an alternative he backed up what is without doubt one of the most appalling bits of officiating you’ll see all season. He’s not on my Christmas card checklist, 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 massive guess down that no different participant might be despatched off that between now and Might, and no matter how this choice continues to be justified by media and pundits (and little doubt 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 have been making ready to make a change and alter our form. A very good ball from Dunk noticed Minteh get between William Saliba and Gabriel. David Raya saved the preliminary shot, however it fell for Joao Pedro who slotted house for 1-1. For as soon as this season the centre-halves acquired caught out positionally, and whenever you watch replays, the best way the goalscorer ran off Thomas Partey does nothing to assuage my considerations about his potential 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 attention-grabbing change, however one I feel dictated to by what we had on the bench. Ideally you’d in all probability convey on one other midfielder, however I don’t assume Partey and Jorginho in a ten-man staff towards the type of gamers Brighton have would have been the proper transfer. Even so, we had possibilities. Havertz did rather well to regulate and burst via, just for the keeper to make an excellent save. May Saka have gone down within the field from the rebound? I feel so, however you possibly can’t blame him for backing himself to have a go at objective.

It was Havertz once more who made an important probability for Saka on the again put up, however he was simply on the stretch and couldn’t make the proper contact. On the again, I assumed Ben White was excellent, the 2 centre-halves rediscovered their solidity, whereas the protected arms of Raya from crosses and set-pieces actually helped us face up to the stress Brighton put us beneath. However the reality they created so little in on a regular basis that they had with an additional man is an enormous credit score to the organisation and self-discipline of the complete staff.

Afterwards, Mikel Arteta stated:

With 10 males, the staff 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 fastidiously:

I used to be amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed due to how inconsistent selections could be. Within the first half, there have been two incidents and nothing occurred. This amazed me, at this degree. I’ll repeat myself. By regulation, you need 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 stated above, if Pedro had been booked for kicking the ball away within the first half, we might don’t have any complaints concerning the Rice incident this morning, however that’s not what occurred. The principles have been utilized in a different way to us, and that’s simply essentially 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 the easiest way he can. It’s removed from preferrred, however it may be helpful by way of constructing an ‘us towards them’ mentality, that’s my solely slight silver-lining round this right this moment. So, we stay unbeaten, and now we hope that our gamers who go away on worldwide responsibility come again protected and sound.

I’ll go away it there for now, have a superb Sunday everybody, and we’ll chat extra about all this within the Arsecast Further tomorrow.