FA Cup Match Review: Arsenal 3 – 2 Brighton and Hove Albion
With a record high numbers in attendance at Brighton’s Falmer Stadium, their tie with the Gunners promised excitement, but not goals. The Arsenal do threaten to mow down opposition, pumping the occasional 5 goals in a flurry, as exhibited in their mid-week fixture against Premiership side West ham United. Brighton too were looking for a win and not just positives, given their undesirable record of having lost every encounter against Arsenal in the FA Cup. Having beaten Newcastle United last year in the fourth round to advance, the Seagulls did look worth the bet. Eventually ending 3-2, with Arsenal advancing, the pulsating tie was a pleasure to watch.
Arsenal held on to the ball for close to 60 per cent of the time, and managed 6 shots on target, double that of the home side. The number of corners though, standing at 14, was 7 times the number Brighton took, although not justifying the pulse of the game. The first half looked like Arsenal’s half, even though Brighton never really gave up. The second half, though, was a box-to-box contest, but the Gunners had Lady Luck on their side.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Gus Poyet, no newcomer to the FA cup, having won it as a player with Chelsea back in the year 2000, fielded a relatively defensive team at the start. The most glaring omission being the Scottish striker Craig Mackail-Smith, who has lead from the front for Brighton with 11 goals in the Championship in 24 appearances. Starting with a closed formation, the striker Leonardo Ulloa found a place up front. The fixture was his debut for the club, having recently moved from Almeria. Also in the line-up were Lua Lua, a name well know five years back during his time at St. James’ Park, and Wayne Bridge, loaned from the defending Premier League Champions, Manchester City.
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger showed he meant business too, and the squad sheet looked set to break the cup drought. The French hitman, Olivier Giroud, started in his solo position up front. Lucas Podolski, Aaron Ramsey were on either side and held together by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the returning playmaker Tomas Rosicky. The defense looked a little bit of a gamble, with Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker and Koscielny putting the slow in the Arsenal slowdown. The inexperienced Carl Jenkinson was filling in for Bacary Sagna, but he looked a better alternative that the Brazilian left-back. On the other hand, Theo Walcott was benched with Jack Wilshere, just in case Arsenal needed the push at the end, which they did.
Game Review
The game didn’t look like an uneven contest, even though the sides were supremely mismatched. But of late, such statements have become characteristic of Arsenal, who have given the opposition more than just a chance at the spoils. Brighton kept pushing up, but it was Arsenal who drew first blood at 16 minutes, with Lukas Podolski laying it off to Giroud, whose left foot curled it from outside the box past the diving Ankergren.
Brighton were almost expecting the goal, and kept making runs at the Arsenal defense. Even when under pressure, the home side kept pulling their defense line in to the midfield, which showed the belief that Gus Poyet had managed to instill in the Championship side. A mistake by Andre Santos saw a cross flicker past goal, and Szczesny’s touch put in to the path of the charging Ulloa, who slotted one home, only to see the offside flag go up.
The crosses kept coming in, and Ashley Barnes grabbed one from close range at 33 minutes, giving the Arsenal keeper no chance whatsoever. Per Metersacker and Abou Diaby at the near post were guilty of ball watching, and Barnes was the quickest to make contact. Notably, the usually pepped up Chamberlain was quite for extended periods, and didn’t seem to be interested in much more than taking in swinging corners.
The remainder of the half was comparatively subdued, and the managers got their chance to share some insights and lend a few ideas to their side. Changes included the introduction of Lua Lua for Will Buckley, and probably a dressing down for Santos regarding his increasingly hopeful stabs from 40 yards out.
Eleven minutes in to the second half, Diaby found himself in some space and launched a lob in to the penalty area, which was taken down by Giroud on his left foot, and slotted past the charging Brighton keeper to give Arsenal the lead for the second time. Reminiscent of the partnership that Robin Van Persie and Alex Song shared, the connection showed glimpses of hope, even though Giroud didn’t launch it in on his first touch.
Brighton looked like a side that had still a hope or two, and were going all out. The newcomer Ulloa found himself on the left of his marker, and Ashely Barnes got in to the action again with a pin-point cross. A supreme finish wiped Arsenal’s lead, restoring equilibrium of sorts to the game.
Neither team looked like they deserved to lose, but neither looked worthy of advancing too. Wenger decided the game needed at shot in the arm, and at just over the hour mark, Jack Wilshere came on for Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott was brought on as a substitute for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Poyet too brought on the club’s star striker Mackail-Smith. Andre Santos trudged off just a little bit later for the agile Kieran Gibbs. The changes took effect soon, and Walcott showed blistering pace. Wilshere too made incisive runs leaving defenders in his trail, but was unable to connect with the forwards. Eventually, a stray ball found Walcott on the edge of the area who smashed one in, thankfully deflecting off a defender and finding the net. Mackail-Smith found himself on the line, but his helpless look of disbelief was the most of his contribution, in addition to the half-decent penalty shout after being mowed down by an exuberant Jenkinson.
At the final whistle, Arsenal had taken the lead thrice, and had managed to stay on course for the next round. Brighton and Hove Albion will be disappointed no doubt, having nothing to take home except positives. The end of the road for Gus Poyet’s men, who still have a chance at a play-off spot for top flight football.