%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal Vs Brighton: Things getting worse for Arsene Wenger
By Harry Austen
Arsenal travelled to the Amex stadium in a hope to revitalise their confidence ahead of their clash against Milan in the Europa League – they didn’t. Things just keep on getting worse for Arsene Wenger and his increasingly unstable standing.
Brighton are the only team in history to lose every game against the ‘Big 6’ this season. Well, that was until they played Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. It seems as if the Gunners are breaking records this season, and not ones they’d like to remember; for the first time in 16 years, they have lost four games in a row.
Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here
The game started well, albeit against a side that shouldn’t have caused the problems that they did, with Arsene Wenger’s side playing the better football and creating a few early chances within the first few minutes of play.
More from Pain in the Arsenal
- 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
- 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
- Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
- 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
- Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win
However, just as it looks like the team was shaping up for a positive afternoon, Brighton took an early lead through a corner. Petr Cech moved off his line to unconvincingly flap the ball away, which fell to the feet of Lewis Dunk, who finished the chance as the nearby defenders looked around in embarrassment.
The early lead gave Brighton confidence. They continued to dominate play moving forward, and within twenty minutes, Albion could have been two goals to the good thanks to a misplaced pass by Alex Iwobi and some lapse defending by Laurent Koscielny. As the game continued, the aerial dominance of the home side was clear to see. With Brighton racking up free kicks and corners, every set play was an opportunity to extend their lead. And, inevitably, as things went from bad to catastrophic, it was the aerial route that Brighton took advantage of.
A well-placed long ball crossed in from the right side picked out Glenn Murray, with Shkodran Mustafi misjudging his position, and the towering striker headed it past Cech to go two up against the bamboozled visitors. With Arsenal’s main concerns stemming from their defence, and both Mustafi and Cech to blame for the second goal of the afternoon, this wouldn’t have given anyone hope moving forward.
The game at this point seemed lost. Brighton seemed unstoppable; Arsenal, panicked. Before the stroke of half-time, however, they did manage to pull one back with Granit Xhaka picking out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the edge of the box, who instinctively flicked it past Matt Ryan to instil a little hope.
Koscielny, who had an awful game and looked as though he’d lost his spirit, almost cost Arsenal another goal heading into the early stages of the second half. Former colleges of Wenger have always praised the Frenchman for his ability to go back to basics. However, one thing is clear right now: Arsenal can’t even do the basics right. Poor, misguided passes under pressure seem to be their forte.
The closing stages of the game saw the continuation of the Gunners’ lacklustre movement. The counter attacks looked lethargic and hopeless, with no stand-out performer willing to take on the challenge of Brighton’s sturdily looking defence. Throughout the game, Wenger sat in his chair, either shaking his head or staying quiet — much like I imagine the Arsenal board following the game –, while Chris Hughton barked his orders from the touchline.
Take nothing away from Brighton – they were great. But an Arsenal team filled with such quality shouldn’t be walking away from a mid-table game with nothing. It’s not good enough.
A top-four place looks more distant than ever, and following this loss, a win against AC Milan in the crucial Europa League tie feels very much in doubt. If anything is for sure, Arsenal have lost their mojo, Wenger has lost the dressing room, and the chance to secure a Champions League place through the Premier League has gone.
Next: Arsenal Vs Brighton: 5 things we learned
It’s not a great time to be an Arsenal fan. It might be an even worse time to be Arsene Wenger.