A second-half penalty from Joao Pedro earned Brighton a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal on Saturday evening.Both sides desperately lacked fluency in this match up. The Gunners struggled to create any significant openings after Ethan Nwaneri's 16th-minute opener, while Brighton were hampered by their own hurried approach in the final third.
First off , I really do not know why Arteta plays Thomas Partey as a right back . It absolutely beats my imagination when we all know he is more proficient at the middle . Partey at the middle of the park gives us much option going forward and creating open play chances . It's really not rocket science.
Arsenal have drawn away at Brighton, therefore missing the chance to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table to three points. Ethan Nwaneri marked his second Premier League start with a goal after 16 minutes, but Joao Pedro’s rather controversial second half penalty meant the Gunners had to settle for a share of the spoils.
As a result, the north London outfit now trail Liverpool by five points. Though the league leaders have two games in hand starting with Sunday afternoon’s clash at home to an out-of-form Manchester United side.
Arsenal's prodigy (Nwaneri) provided plenty of endeavour without any end-product on his full Premier League debut against Brentford in midweek, but got a deserved goal on the south coast. Cutting on to his stronger left foot from the right flank, Nwaneri slid the ball underneath Bart Verbruggen with a nerveless finish his injured compatriot, Bukayo Saka, would have been pleased with.
A culpable challenge from William Saliba inadvertently ensured that another Brighton attack would not fizzle out. Joao Pedro juggled the ball inside a crowded penalty area, tempting Arsenal's French centre-back into an aerial challenge which saw him connect exclusively with the striker's scalp. Brighton's number nine dusted himself down to convert the spot-kick.
That goal prompted the introduction of Odegaard and Martinelli but they couldn't make the difference as Arsenal must now look for help from Man Utd to avoid falling eight points behind Liverpool come Sunday evening.
A genuine question on every Arsenal fan lips is whether the hope of the title race has been completely extinguished? A win for Arsenal on Saturday would have lifted the Gunners just three points behind Liverpool. Yet, the frustrating stalemate ensures that the gap could be as wide as eight points if the Reds defeat Manchester United on Sunday as expected. The Merseyside outfit will still have a game in hand after the weekend's matches.
Personally I feel it's hard now to even think of Arsenal laying their hands on the title. Consistency will always be a key factor leading to this . To be honest I don't think the Gunners have got that type of tough skin to challenge for the title . I don't see Liverpool slipping up anytime soon and even if they do , Arsenal doesn't seem like a team that will capitalize on that . Yesterday's draw was a major pointer of that . Liverpool may very well suffer a dip in form over the next five months, but the idea that Arsenal will be able to capitalise upon any hypothetical slip up looks increasingly fanciful. Let's face the facts!!