Arsenal were shocked by Brighton in their last match before the international window, and it is a game the Gunners will want to move on from immediately.
Unfortunately, it will be their last competitive fixture for around 20 days before club football returns from the break, meaning the defeat will continue to be discussed. Arsenal have time to reflect on what went wrong, but they will also know that several lessons need to be taken from the performance.
There are many lessons to learn from that game, but one that could easily be missed is that this Arsenal team may be far more vulnerable than many believed. The defeat highlighted weaknesses that had not been as obvious during their previous performances.
Brighton expose Arsenal weaknesses
Winning the league title the way they did last term appeared to create the impression that there were few weaknesses in this Arsenal team. However, Brighton exposed that belief as incorrect during the fixture, putting the Gunners under pressure and forcing them into mistakes.
The Seagulls were as relentless as any team can be, and they showed that Arsenal can struggle as a ball-playing side when opponents press them aggressively. Their ability to deal with pressure from the front was tested throughout the match, and Brighton found ways to make life difficult for the Gunners.
No team is as efficient as Brighton when they press, but other opponents will now know that Arsenal can be hurt by applying aggressive pressure. That is not something the Gunners would want to become a clear weakness that teams can target in future matches.
Gunners must learn quickly
As difficult as the Brighton match was, they are not the best team Arsenal will face this term. That makes the lessons from the defeat even more important, because stronger opponents could look to use similar tactics when they meet the Gunners.
Arsenal must therefore learn from what happened and address the problems exposed by Brighton. The international break gives them time to reflect before returning to competitive action.
If the Gunners can correct those weaknesses and become more comfortable when facing aggressive pressure, they can reduce the chances of suffering similar defeats. The Brighton result has provided Arsenal with clear lessons, and they must learn them quickly.
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In a way, you should want opponents to press you. That’s the whole point of playing out from the back, as they step on you pass right through them as you are overloading it further up pitch.
In fact, all the way up to the Napoli game, the pattern was up against low block every PL game, more open midfield in the ECL games, hence ECL games just feel easier. The low block harder for us.
If we had to go to Brighton 5 matches in a row, and Brighton deployed same tactics – who thinks we would lose all 5 games? Facts from the game – there was some poor defending from Arsenal for at least 2 goals, and at one point Brighton scored 3 from 4 shots on target.
It’s much the same those like Merson and Shearer saying on gilt edged chance Brighton missed, it could have been 5 nil – but that’s hypothetical as we missed at least 3 great chances too, so why not say 5 – 3 as a more realistic hypothetical from all best chances in a match fly in. All best chances in a game don’t all go in do they. Arteta chose to chase the game rather than tighten up, is another fact.
Liverpool won their first seven last season then endured a miserable winter, Brighton can go the same way from here. They ain’t nothing or certain on for great season.
@Moon Girl
I believe, we play BHA 5 games. And they use the same tactics. We lose every time. Arteta cannot or will not set up set up his team to counter the high press. Just my opinion.
Crazy, with higher budget, arteta is outsmarted ? Like he was vs Emery or vs Luis Enrique. Artetq has great qualities, no doubt about that. He is ruthless, exigeant, built a tem of fighters. Had ideas (tall, versatile players only etc… ). But as a pure coach and how he adapts in games (again example vs brighton… Nothing work and wait until 60′ to change someone) he is not amongst the best. Strangely soletimes there are exceptions like last year when he replaced zubi in a game when zubi already entered for someone. But this was an exception…
60′ is an improvement already. It used to be much later. Just count our lucky stars that the Kroenkes have huge faith in him and are willing to back him with billions. As a club we are benefiting from that faith that I don’t think they would have in other managers
Not this summer they didn’t
Stood still
Our last five v BHA: Won 2, Draw 2, Lose 1
It’s not the end of the world.
Like to think the Brighton flop was a one off but unfortunately my common sense tells me it has opened the window for other teams to exploit our weaknesses. The first failure on Saturday was our manager. He must have known what was coming but stuck with the same game plan beyond half time and then realized he didn’t have the players available who could have changed anything. The next failure was the summer window which left us with a squad of lead footed one dimensional players , mostly in the late twenties and have who little or no improvement in them. The third failure was the inability of the team leaders such as Odegard, Rice and Saka to get a grip on the game and individually lead by example. My take is that the balance of the team is wrong. My ideal is that a winning team should have two to three players who are under 21 providing energy and brilliance,then perhaps three or four players who are in their late twenties and the remaining players in their early twenties with everything to prove. Unfortunately we are overloaded with defenders . Meanwhile our star boy looks burnt out at a time when he should have reached his peak and going for a golden boot. Let’s hope that the next two games again Leeds and Liverpool will have made my comments unnecessarily negative and wrong. Otherwise the clear out next summer will be massive.
I think that it won’t be the defense or midfield that will let Arsenal down over the course of the season. I fear it will be their attack, for me they need to be in contention come the next window. And then bring in a couple of attackers to freshen things up. Failure to do so, could prove costly.
Just how long can they keep relying on the defense to keep clean sheets so they can get their customary 1-0 to the Arsenal mantra going.🤷♂️
Against Brighton, every area of the team was poor including our highly regarded goalkeeper.To concede two goals from more than 20 yards is disappointing and the caption on the article highlights the failure of Gabriel in particular to engage the scorer.Defending with arms behind the back is a recipe for disaster in terms of lack of balance and inability to cut down the space to the threatening forward.Calafiori was culpable in the same way for the first goal where I thought Raya ought to have done better.That said, these three players have served us very well for some time and it would be unfair to blame them for what was a woeful performance by the whole team.Lessons will hopefully be learned from the defeat and against Leeds I expect much more intensity from every player.