Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad travelled to the Amex stadium to face off against 10th on the table Brighton & Hove Albion, in what turned out to be a great day at the office for the Gunners. Walking away with all three points after a 3-0 thumping and sending ourselves back to the top of the pyramid. Here’s a rundown of everything that happened.
Arsenal started off the match on the front foot and looked to dominate the ball, getting plenty of early chances and making it difficult for Brighton to get into the flow off the game. It took a little longer than expected but in the 33rd minute Gabriel Jesus was running into the box and Brighton’s Lamptey took his legs out just inside the box and the ref pointed straight at the spot. Bukayo Saka stepped up to the spot and calmly thumped the ball into the bottom left corner of the net sending Verbruggen the wrong way and made it 1-0.
Brighton had their chances just before half time and looked to be coming into the game a bit, coming very close when Enciso took a shot from the edge of the box, forcing David Raya to go full stretch and just got a glove to it, sending the ball over the top of the goal and keeping the Gunner’s in front.
More of the same in the second half and Arsenal were dominating possession and chances and in the 66th minute managed to get another goal. Saka was brought down just outside the box, but the ref saw nothing wrong with the challenge and played on. Jorginho managed to win the ball back with some quick pressing and passed the ball off to Ben White who noticed Martin Odegaard in free space, Odegaard put a lovely ball through to the run of Jorginho, who took the ball to the line and squared it into the box onto the foot of a running Kai Havertz to bury into the back of the net and make it 2-0. A great team goal from the Gunners and another goal to add to Havertz’s ever growing tally.
Arsenal continued to look on top and Brighton looked like they just wanted the game to end by the 85th minute, but unfortunately for them, it was only about to get harder when Leandro Trossard pressed hard and forced an error from Brighton that left the ball loose for Havertz to poke through onto the run of Trossard who was running towards the Brighton goal at full speed, shaking off a defender and getting 1 on 1 with the keeper before chipping the ball over the top and into the goal to make it 3-0. Scoring against his old club and hitting the Arsenal badge.
This was a massive game to win and another three points closer to the Premier League title. Arsenal currently sit top of the table again with a lot to do in the coming weeks, but we look composed and confident to push on till the end.
The thing I found truly amazing for the betting fraternity is that the Gunners were at a great price of 4/7 for a simple win, which must have been a magnet for professional gamblers, but for me the outstanding odds were for Arsenal To Win To Nil, which, considering Arteta’s defence hadn’t conceded one away goal for 5 games in a row (including at the Etihad) looked like a banker to me at 11/8 or better.
With Arsenal’s defence being in such incredible form and not allowing hardly anyone to trouble David Raya, I think that we should look at which top online to bookmakers offer great odds on the next Arsenal game, to look for the price of Arsenal winning to Nil again on Tuesday, or Aston Villa next Sunday, and maybe a small saver on the 0-0 draw in either game. Surely if we can stop Man City scoring, then Munich and Aston Villa should be easy, especially at the Emirates!
COYG!
