3 Things I loved from Arsenal’s Thrilling Win Over Brighton By Eshal Mobeen
The Start:
We started the game like a house on fire. Straight from kickoff, we were pushing numbers up the field and trying to win the ball back deep into Brighton’s half. Their center-backs and keeper had no time to breathe. Even Evan Ferguson was expertly man-marked by Gabriel at all times.
I also noticed that we kept possession beautifully. There were so many quick exchanges between the players that let us easily progress the ball around the pitch. We are so privileged to have technically proficient players all across the field, such as Zinchenko, Rice, Ødegaard and others, who make keeping possession so easy on the eye.
Additionally, this didn’t look like a team that had just come back from the Netherlands after playing 90 minutes against an undefeated PSV outfit. Our conditioning appears to be top-notch, and I was impressed with how we maintained a high tempo throughout the entirety of the game. Our fitness will prove especially valuable as the fixture list becomes increasingly congested as the season goes on.
Counter Attacking:
On the few occasions when Brighton did venture forward, we took full advantage once we regained possession. Sometimes, this was due to the technical brilliance of Ødegaard, as his mesmeric footwork bought him time on the ball to pick out the perfect pass, and other times, it was due to the willing running of Martinelli and Saka, or the hold-up play/aerial presence of Jesus and Havertz up top. So much of our play this season has been based on control and keeping the pressure on the opposition, but today’s deft touches and swift transitions showed that we have many different ways to punish opponents.
Mentality:
This season, many have referred to Arsenal as “Mentality Monsters”, and one moment from the game today really highlighted that. In the 74th minute, Martin Ødegaard had a golden chance to seal the game after a great bit of skill, but the Brighton keeper, Bart Verbruggen, parried his shot. Declan Rice reacted by slamming the floor out of frustration. An outside viewer might interpret this gesture as rude towards Ødegaard, but we all know the type of person Declan is, and I believe that it reflects his desire to win rather than his unhappiness with his Captain.
That desire to win is exactly what we need at Arsenal. Finally, as long as we keep working hard and the players continue to play for the badge, this team can reach unknown heights.
COYG!!!! Comment your thoughts below!
Eshal
First is to stop this free scoring Brighton team that scored against every single premier league team they played against this season.
Secondly, Arteta ball was on full display, against a team that doesn’t play low block.
And ofcourse when the big German scores again, for someone who hasn’t had an impact since signing, but who is now finding form,
That’s his fifth goal for us this season and third premier league goals in five games, and their big ones too- to secure the points on Sunday, the winner against Brentford and the one that brought us level away at Luton.
We are nearly at the halfway stage and I think that he’d have had a good impact this season if he was to manage double figures from midfield
Are we seeing the Leverkusen Big German rising suddenly?
If Havertz returns to his form he had at Leverkusen, we are in for a treat. Let’s hope he can create a partnership with Odegaard, the same way he formed one with Julian Brandt! Also big shoutout to the defense who kept a brilliant clean sheet
Another disappointment from the prior season corrected and avenged. This seems to be a recurring theme in the mentality of this season’s club and it is very welcomed and needed if there is any hope of a championship imo.
I always love it when we get some revenge. Need some at Anfield this weekend!!!
Great display and 3 well earned points. We need a repeat at Anfield, but I expect Liverpool to be primed and dangerous after their draw with Utd.
Our play is much different from last year, highly focused on possession and keeping the game in the opponents half.
After last year’s collapse, I will wait and reserve any talk about trophies or titles. We have a good squad, but not “great” because they have yet to finish on top; domestic cups, EPL, or CL.
Hopefully the bitterness of falling short last year is a driving force to finish on top. 3 points at Anfield could be a key victory in this season’s final standings.
We can definitely go and get 3 points from Anfield. It will be a tough test, but the boys will be hungry. I’m sure the failures of last year are strong in the memories of the players, and they will be desperate to get a win there. Let’s keep playing great and win some trophies!
I enjoyed the win too. Our defensive solidity is something to be proud of-for perspective,this was the first time in 33 matches that Brighton had failed to score. At this point in time,I think it’s safe to say that we have the best defence in the league. Our goalkeeper,defenders and Rice rightly deserve their praise but I feel like our good record is due to a collective effort.It’s remarkable how sometimes Jesus,Martinelli and Saka sprint back to win balls in the defensive third. It’s good to have a team where everyone contributes defensively.
Secondly,I must congratulate Arteta for tweaking Odegaard’s role in the team over the last few matches.I believe this tweak has made us more fluid,which is something that was lacking earlier in the season. Previously,Odegaard operated primarily on the right half space,but now he plays more like a Central midfielder,dropping deeper to pick the ball from Raya and the defenders. This freedom means he now has more influence on the game as he can dictate play and create chances from a wider zone of the pitch. It also means Saka has more room to operate from since he and Odegaard are no longer restricted to virtually the same area of the pitch.Essentially,Odegaard is now doing the Xhaka role(box to box) whereas Havertz is the more advanced midfielder. Havertz also seems to be swapping positions with Jesus during the game which is difficult for defenders to deal with. This partnership between Jesus/Havertz has,however,come at a cost-Martinelli now seems isolated without his combination with Jesus. I trust Arteta to figure it out.
Finally,I have to congratulate the set-piece coach(I don’t know his name). I won’t say much about that-our record from corners speaks for itself.
Ah yes! We have been so dangerous from set plays this year, and it has helped us out so much in so many games. Against Brighton, we looked destined for a frustrating afternoon after missing so many chances, but a set piece helped us break the deadlock. Nicholas Jover (the set-piece coach) is training us well!!!
Test
Why does my previous comment not show?
I thought Saliba was the one who marked Ferguson? It shows that Toney is more dangerous than Ferguson, because Toney held Saliba off easily and was aerially-dominant against White
The pattern of our second goal is beautiful. Trossard cut inside to initiate the string of z1gz4g passes, then it ended up with Havertz skillfully lifting the ball up slightly and directing it to the far corner of Brighton’s goal
I hope they will play with the same pattern again, which can only be created because of Odegaard’s work rate and stamina
Gai, Toney didn’t hold off Saliba; carefully consider the stats, he had only one offside controversial header on target. Besides Saliba has gain more experience in his second season. I mean If he can hold off Halaand who is much taller than Toney and also pacey . How many Epl strikers has had joy against our defence this season they have been solid. And we don’t expect them not to concede at all.
Saliba seemed to have improved a lot since he played against Toney last season
Yes, he appears to be making less errors and definitely seeing the game even better now than previously. I wonder if the vision and knowledge of Rice has been influential to Saliba in some way.
Both are still so young, we are privileged to have both as such an integral part of the spine of this team
De Zerbi didn’t look for excuses,when asked questions about tactics….he repeatedly said that Arsenal were simply the better team,simple as.
And he is absolutely right. They only had one dangerous moment when we had multiple. De Zerbi is a top Coach and a top professional, and we did a great job to beat his well-drilled team.
Great article… Really agree about the mentality. I think this is all part of Arteta’s vision for us, and we will be destined for great things if we keep playing hard and learning.
Impressive performance, wished we scored more though.