MATCH REVIEW: Brighton 0-1 Arsenal. The Seagulls have been a tough opponent for the Gunners since their promotion back in 2017. But today, Arteta's men prevailed with a 1-0 victory. In this thread, I analyse the game in detail. Likes/RTs would be much appreciated, enjoy!

FIRST HALF: Mikel Arteta retained his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 system, deployed against Chelsea, but with Auba coming in for Laca to lead the line. Elneny/Xhaka in midfield, ESR playing in between the lines along with Martinelli and Saka playing through the wide areas. Out of...

possession, as Brighton transitioned forward and into the Gunners' half, a 4-5-1 was deployed with ESR dropping into the midfield to provide compactness, along with Gabi and Saka supporting the FBs to prevent numerical superiorities. In possession, Arsenal would utilise a...

4-3-2-1 during the build-up phase, with Elneny or Xhaka at times dropping in between the two CBs. And as the Gunner's moved forward with the ball, Arteta's men utilised a 2-3-5 with Tierney providing width from the left. Through the left, Gabi and ESR would rotate/interchange...

as shown in the diagrams. Gabi would drop deep, with ESR positioning himself wider and vice versa. Bellerin would play an inverted role, ensuring enough cover was present in midfield to cope with transitions.

The opening 10/15 minutes saw Arteta's men impose themselves and...

control proceedings. Attacking players found themselves in promising situations, but poor touches/passes and incorrect decision making were aspects that prevented anything substantial from developing. An encouraging start, however, wasn't maintained with Potters side growing...

into the game and looking relaxed in possession. The hosts failed to seize on a turnover opportunity presented by Elneny, where the Egyptian cheaply conceded possession in a dangerous area. Leno was also forced into making a smart stop at his near post after his fellow...

defenders failed to deal with the attack. Overall, Arsenal were lethargic and slow during the build-up phases, with the Seagulls happy to sit deep/remain compact. Elneny guilty of neglecting forward penetrative passes was an area which stifled passages of play developing,...

and essentially far too many sideways/backwards passes were on show. Furthermore, balance issues were a problem regarding Arsenal's attacking shape. A clear left-sided bias was visible, making the Gunners predictable in attack. Since Bellerin was instructed not to overlap, it...

left young Bukayo isolated on the right-hand side. With Auba coming back into the team, the Gabonese superstar failed to impress with his off the ball movement. Despite service being minimal, his inability to run towards the channels was disappointing.

SECOND HALF: Arteta realised the imbalance and adjusted accordingly after 55/60 minutes. ESR, gliding in between the lines, operated frequently through the right, which helped unlock Bukayo Saka. The two rotated and developed a much-needed partnership, with...

Tierney/Martinelli (Auba when he switched to the left) attacking through the left. The intensity increased, with ESR instrumental in finding space and attracting Brighton players. A huge chance came for the Gunners with Saka drifting to the left, whilst Auba occupied the space...

vacated. Arsenal's No.7 goes onto deliver an excellent ball for his captain, who should have buried the chance. Gabi also had a decent opportunity, following excellent work from ESR from the left. Eventually, in the 67th minute, Arsenal took the lead with Saka instrumental.

Receiving the ball from deep, Saka roles Burns on the half-turn and attacks the space with excellent pace. His pass to Laca demonstrated his ability to make the correct decisions in danger zones, and the Frenchman finishes brilliantly, providing his team with an immediate impact.

Arsenal needed a spark and Saka was the one who initiated it. With Brighton struggling to create, Arsenal were happy to sit in a 4-5-1 shape out of possession and see the game out, which they did. A huge win for Arteta and his side are now incrementally creeping up the table.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES: Although it was a quiet game for the German, Leno did make two important stops at his near post in both halves. His quality on the ball, however, wasn't convincing, frequently taking too long to release the ball and had a nervy moment in the opening half.

The two CBs in Mari and Holding showed promise in their makeshift partnership and can be pleased with the clean sheet. Whilst in possession they were slow and failed to show bravery with the passes played, defensively they impressed.

Bellerin, who retained his place, was terrific at RB. Playing as an inverted RB, he was calm in possession and maintained strong defensive qualities that were on show against Chelsea. Hector also made an excellent recovery challenge early on after the interval.

Tierney on the opposite flank quietly impressed. The Scotsman was loose in possession on occasions but provided great energy and directness through the left. Elneny's first-half display was frustrating. With games coming thick and fast, Kieren would benefit from a rest. The...

Egyptian failed to provide progressive passes from deep to initiate attacks as well as looking slightly nervy in possession on a few occasions. In the second half, however, he performed better. His partner Xhaka maintained his performance levels from Saturday, playing the most...

forward passes in the opening 45. Out of possession, Granit provided experience and showed leadership in midfield. ESR, playing ahead was superb, particularly in the second half. Excellent at finding space,effective in drifting from right to left, and makes correct decisions.

Gabi certainly wasnt at his best, and this will be down to fatigue and the fact that the Brazillian is still coming back from a long term injury. Auba also had a quiet game. A big chance in the second half came for the Gabonese international which he failed...

to convert. Saka's levels increased in the second half, and the Hale End Graduate was yet again played a pivotal role for his team. A fantastic driving run and assist for the goal, along with brilliant off the ball work rate.

The most notable substitute was Laca, who provided an immediate impact. Effective hold-up play when tasked to drop deep and it's now 3 goals in the Frenchmans last 3 appearances.

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