Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal stay unbeaten to this point 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 the same sort 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, seeking 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 tough time within the opening phases. I felt like we had been constructing our means into the sport, steadily and with confidence, however Brighton had been boosted by an harm. 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 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 fantastic 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 stunned if the ball bounced simply extensive. I noticed him speak about 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 good sport.
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 inquisitive about any ‘letter of the legislation’ 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 completely absurd to make a group 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 taking part in 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 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 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 problem with that not being a yellow card by itself, however while you apply the foundations to 1 group and never the opposite, it’s infuriating – particularly when it leads to the last word sanction for a participant within the form of a purple card. Additionally, that is the sort of factor that occurs numerous instances in each single sport with out gamers being booked, in order that sort of inconsistency permeates this complete state of affairs.
That’s the reason the letter of the legislation 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 stated ‘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 evaluate/give a yellow to Pedro for doing the identical factor (however way more clearly), that’s the sort of factor that drives me mad.
He had the chance to do the sport some service by saying ‘Yeah, we received a bit fortunate, you don’t need to see gamers despatched off for that’, however as a substitute 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 record, that’s for positive (until 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 will likely 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 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, however it fell for Joao Pedro who slotted house for 1-1. For as soon as this season the centre-halves received caught out positionally, and while you watch replays, the way in which the goalscorer ran off Thomas Partey does nothing to assuage my issues about his capability 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 most likely carry on one other midfielder, however I don’t assume Partey and Jorginho in a ten-man group in opposition to the sort of gamers Brighton have would have been the proper transfer. Even so, we had possibilities. Havertz did very well to manage and burst by means of, 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’ll be able to’t blame him for backing himself to have a go at purpose.
It was Havertz once more who made an incredible probability for Saka on the again publish, 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 secure arms of Raya from crosses and set-pieces actually helped us face up to the strain Brighton put us below. However the reality they created so little in on a regular basis they’d with an additional man is an enormous credit score to the organisation and self-discipline of your complete group.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta stated:
With 10 males, the group reacted unbelievably properly, the stadium reacts unbelievably properly 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 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 legislation, you need to do it however you didn’t do it within the first half. After which now we have to play 11 in opposition to 10. Quite simple.
As I stated above, if Pedro had been booked for kicking the ball away within the first half, we may don’t have any complaints in regards to the Rice incident this morning, however that’s not what occurred. The principles had been utilized otherwise 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 seems 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 simplest ways he can. It’s removed from very best, however it may be helpful when it comes to constructing an ‘us in opposition to them’ mentality, that’s my solely slight silver-lining round this as we speak. So, we stay unbeaten, and now we hope that our gamers who go away on worldwide obligation come again secure and sound.
I’ll depart it there for now, have an excellent Sunday everybody, and we’ll chat extra about all this within the Arsecast Additional tomorrow.
