Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal stay unbeaten to date 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 facet that beat Aston Villa was the deserved return of Leandro Trossard to the beginning line-up, and I believed this recreation had the same type of vibe to final week’s encounter. Brighton arrange with a line of 4 gamers excessive up the pitch every time we had possession on the again, seeking to lower off passing lanes by way of the center.
So, we discovered pleasure out broad, specifically by way of Bukayo Saka who gave Jack Hinshelwood a tough time within the opening phases. I felt like we have been constructing our manner into the sport, steadily and with confidence, however Brighton have 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 have 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 broad, however as we headed in the direction of half-time, we discovered a manner by way of. Saka was too robust 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 type of moments the place you count on Havertz to attain, however wouldn’t have been that shocked if the ball bounced simply broad. I noticed him discuss wanting to attain 20 targets this season, and people are the moments that can 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 flippantly tipping the ball, after which getting booted by Joel Veltman. Let me say this, I’m not keen on any ‘letter of the legislation’ 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 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 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 enjoying a go 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 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 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 while you apply the principles to 1 group and never the opposite, it’s infuriating – particularly when it leads to the final word sanction for a participant within the form of a pink 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 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 take heed to any criticism of Rice. The referee might 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 tough). 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 obtained 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 record, 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 wager 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 question ESPN’s PGMOL Pravda Propagandist), it’s an absurdity that we needed to play many 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. 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 dwelling for 1-1. For as soon as this season the centre-halves obtained caught out positionally, and while you watch replays, the best way the goalscorer ran off Thomas Partey does nothing to assuage my issues about his capacity 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 type of gamers Brighton have would have been the proper transfer. Even so, we had probabilities. Havertz did rather well to regulate and burst by way 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 objective.
It was Havertz once more who made an incredible 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 believed Ben White was excellent, the 2 centre-halves rediscovered their solidity, whereas the secure palms 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 they’d with an additional man is an enormous credit score to the organisation and self-discipline of all the group.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta mentioned:
With 10 males, the group reacted unbelievably properly, the stadium reacts unbelievably properly and we must always have received 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 will 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 we’ve to play 11 in opposition to 10. Quite simple.
As I mentioned above, if Pedro had been booked for kicking the ball away within the first half, we might haven’t any complaints in regards to 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 one of the simplest ways he can. It’s removed from ideally suited, but it surely may be helpful by way of constructing an ‘us in opposition to them’ mentality, that’s my solely slight silver-lining round this at this time. So, we stay unbeaten, and now we hope that our gamers who go away on worldwide responsibility come again secure and sound.
I’ll go away it there for now, have an excellent Sunday everybody, and we’ll chat extra about all this within the Arsecast Further tomorrow.
