Arsenal 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion: Gunners' Player Ratings as resurgent Seagulls gun them down in their own backyard | Premier League 2021-22
Brighton & Hove Albion secured a stunning 2-1 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday. It was only the second time they have won at the ground in their English top flight history.
Arsenal came into the game after suffering a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their last game. Despite their loss, they remained in firm contention for the fourth spot in the Premier League table prior to this game.
Brighton, on the other hand, came into this contest having scored just one goal in their last seven outings. They were winless in all seven games, losing six. For both teams with different priorities, the match turned out to be a great contest.
Arsenal (2.27) 1-2 (0.74) Brighton
Arsenal started the game with intent, pressing high up the pitch and looking to put Brighton on the back foot. Despite playing without their usual midfield pairing of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, the Gunners did well in midfield.
Youngster Albert Sambi Lokonga stepped up to deliver what was asked of him with Partey injured. However, they seemed to lack a cutting edge in their game and lacked decisiveness.
Brighton, on the other hand, played smooth passing football as they always do. However, with virtually no runs into the box or options offered by the forwards, they seemed to lack a serious goal threat.
However, they capitalized well when Xhaka was caught high up the field. Enock Mwepu held his width and played a wonderfully weighted pass into the box. Leadro Trossard slotted it home uncontested to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Arsenal had a moment of their own as they leveled to make it 1-1 at the stroke of half-time. Gabriel Magalhaes headed the ball across and Gabriel Martinelli headed home to equalize. However, upon VAR review, officials deemed Martinelli offside without an angle that showed conclusive evidence. The teams went into the break with Brighton leading 1-0.
0-1 
(45+1)Martinelli has the ball in the net, but it's ruled out for offside...
🔴 0-1 🔵 (45+1)
#ARSBHA
Both teams started the second half in nervy fashion, with Arsenal looking like the nervier side. Brighton did well to organize their lines and keep them compact to prevent the Gunners from passing their way through. The Seagulls also put together a few moves of their own to maintain the pressure.
Their effort paid off in the 66th minute as Mwepu smashed home a low, driven shot into the bottom-left corner of the goal. The Zambian had an incredible game overall and put in a performance worthy of being the man-of-the-match. His composure and maturity on the ball helped his side outclass a heavily-talented Gunners midfield.
Martin Odegaard led one final charge for Arsenal, hitting the crossbar from his freekick from just outside the box. Soon after, he attempted another shot from the resulting play and smashed home a deflected shot from 30 yards. But it was too little, too late, as Brighton held on to their lead and won the game 2-1.
After their second defeat in a row, Arsenal have now lost ground on Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the top four. Spurs have a superior goal difference and a game in hand despite being level on points.
That said, let's take a look at the player ratings from a disappointing outing for Arsenal.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 5/10
Ramsdale could not do much to keep Trossard's close-range shot at bay for Brighton's goal. His distribution, organization and positioning were otherwise decent. He helped the Gunners fight their way back into the game by providing a strong base.
He was well-beaten for the second goal as well, attempting to save the shot at full-stretch to his right, but in vain.
Cedric Soares - 5.5/10
He combined well with Saka on the right wing to create a few openings for Arsenal. But these attacks were not very effective in threatening Brighton's goal. The downside of his forward runs was that he left space behind him. This was exploited well by Trossard and Marc Cucurella, who dominated the flank.
Ben White - 5/10
A relatively quiet performance from the former Brighton defender. He looked a bit off the pace right from the start and did not play his usual game consistently. Overall, an average defensive performance minus his usual marauding runs into the opponents' half.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 5.5/10
The big Brazilian had a shaky performance after being part of the side that shipped three goals to Crystal Palace. Looked confused and made a few poor decisions in the game which allowed Brighton to ease the pressure.
Granit Xhaka - 5.5/10
The Swiss captain was deployed out of position due to a lack of availability of options as he played left-back. He played well defensively, winning tackles and helping break down attacks.
However, when he ventured forward, Xhaka was often caught out of position and in one such instance, ended up conceding a goal. Overall, Xhaka put in maximum effort.
🗣 “We have players ready, we can play in different formations as well.”
Mikel Arteta wouldn’t reveal if Granit Xhaka was playing left-back today for Arsenal. https://t.co/K8zlnQ8aLD
Albert Sambi Lokonga - 7/10
The young Belgian started his first game since the end of January when Partey and Xhaka were both suspended. This time around, Lokonga has looked far more composed and assured in his role. He did his job well, taking shots and providing incisive passes.
He had a few moments where he lost the ball or made a poor challenge, but it arguably boils down to a lack of experience. He was booked for a lazy tackle late in the game.
Emile Smith Rowe - 6/10
A spark in a relatively drab display by Arsenal. He looked to actively run into channels and used his dribbling and pace to create openings for himself and his teammates. Lacked the decisiveness of finishing chances which proved to be costly for his side.
He was also dribbled past far too easily on multiple occasions, allowing Brighton to control midfield. He came off in the 62nd minute and was replaced by Eddie Nketiah.
Bukayo Saka - 5.5/10
The Englishman combined with Cedric on the right wing to create several combinations that helped Arsenal penetrate Brighton's lines. Provided a great cross which Gabriel narrowly missed. As the game progressed, his performances dropped off significantly and he cut a lethargic figure while defending. That allowed Brighton to carve out space and create a chance for their second goal.
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
The tricky Brazilian started the game well on the left hand side, causing all sorts of problems for Joel Veltman. His ability to run at and beat defenders helped Arsenal advance the ball from tight spaces very well. He had a goal ruled out at the stroke of half-time after VAR reversed the awarded goal for offside without conclusive evidence. An encouraging performance on a tough night for his side.
Martin Odegaard - 7/10
The Norwegian pulled the strings for the Gunners from the heart of midfield and cropped up in interesting attacking positions. However, after a few poor decisions and a soft yellow card, his impact on the game began to wane and output reduced considerably.
Once Arsenal went 2-0 down, Odegaard began taking a bit more initiative. He also scored a wonderful goal in the dying embers to give his side a glimmer of hope.
89’ | Martin Odegaard scores, is there enough time to get a point? 👀
🔴 1-2 🔵 | #ARSBHA #Arsenal #AFC https://t.co/f0cKKx8lZM
Alexandre Lacazette - 5/10
The Frenchman looked out of sorts and winded from the early exchanges of the game. He provided nearly no movement or penetration behind Brighton's lines, stunting the Gunners as they ventured forward. It is looking likelier that Arsenal are desperate for a solution in this position as Lacazette continues to provide minimal output.
Arsenal Substitutes
Eddie Nketiah - 6.5/10
Nketiah offered a bit more pace and dynamism in attack for Arsenal. He attacked every loose ball and put in a combative shift in his substitute appearance, forcing a few saves from Sanchez as well.
Nicolas Pepe - 5/10
The Ivorian came on midway through the second half to replace Martinelli. His dribbling and unpredictable nature of attacking play caused some problems for Brighton initially. However, the Seagulls dealt with him well as the game progressed and kept him quiet.