After their defeat against Manchester City in their opening fixture after the restart of the 2019/20 Premier League season, Arsenal was looking to get maximum points in their bag. It was a game where they took on Brighton and Hove Albion in the opposition’s backyard. The Gunners, who were desperate in search of their first win since the restart, started the proceedings well. Bakayo Saka hit the post in the first half. The score was 0-0 at half-time, with quite a few chances being wasted. The end product was just not there in the opening 45 minutes.
In the second half, Arsenal came out with more intent. They started to press more often, which resulted in the first goal of the match. Nicolas Pepe put the ball in the back of the net via brilliant curling shot off his left foot in the 68th minute. The Seagulls, however, retaliated with a scrappy goal. Lewis Dunk put the ball past the substitute goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who came on for the injured Bernd Leno, in the 75th minute.
In the 95th minute of the match, with what was literally the last kick of the match, Neal Maupay put the ball into the net. This was the moment to break the heart of the Arsenal players and fans. It gave Brighton a much-needed victory. There were ugly scenes after the match was over as both sets of player threw tantrums at each other. They also got a little physical on a few occasions as well.
The key talking points from this match are as follows-
Gunners’ dismal form continues
Arsenal is yet to register a win since the restart of the season. They are currently stranded on the ninth position in the Premier League table. Their fixture against Brighton, which was expected to be a rather easier one after their defeat against Manchester City, saw them not being able to hold onto their lead and giving away unnecessary goals to jeopardize their hope of booking a Champions League or Europa League berth.
Brighton’s hope of survival gets a boost thanks to the Gunners
These were very crucial three points for the Seagulls as they moved to the 15th spot on the league table. With the race for survival being very tough, every point they earn is going to be very crucial for Graham Potter’s men and a win against a team of Arsenal’s stature will certainly provide a huge boost to their morale as well.
Bernd Leno’s injury
In a collision that took place in the first half between the Brighton goalscorer Maupay and Arsenal shot-stopper Bernd Leno, the latter immediately went to the ground. He looked in absolute agony. He had to be stretchered off and was replaced by Emiliano Martinez.
Leno has been one of the in-form players for the Gunners since the restart of the season. The German showed his excellence in making crucial saves in the match against Manchester City as well. Now, with the Gunners’ defence playing far away from that of the level at the Premier League, Leno’s absence can be a real headache for manager Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has already confirmed that the German goalkeeper’s injury doesn’t look good.
