2 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s early Carabao Cup exit

I mean, did anyone even see Wednesday night’s game? Are we even sure it happened? Does it even count?

Okay, right. I’ve just got confirmation, Arsenal’s Carabao Cup tie with Brighton definitely went ahead and, unfortunately, their 3-1 defeat still stands.

The aftermath was a feeling that supporters haven’t gotten too familiar with this season. This was just the Gunners’ third defeat in all competitions in 2022/23, and their first at the Emirates since, you guessed it, Brighton came to town back in April.

Those pesky Seagulls.

While many supporters would’ve been happy to see their side progress in this competition, Wednesday’s defeat is hardly disastrous given their Premier League position and thus, it’s pretty easy to establish some balance when assessing this defeat.

2 positives & negatives from Arsenal’s early Carabao Cup exit

Here are a pair of positives and negatives from the Gunners’ early exit in the Carabao Cup.

Positive #1: Reiss Nelson’s performance

While the game wasn’t televised, Nelson’s performance against the Seagulls garnered plenty of praise from those reporting live from the Emirates and the clips of his display that have since surfaced would justify the initial excitement.

Nelson was surely the Gunners’ best player on the night and the star performer of the first half as he created Eddie Nketiah’s opener following a driving run and a well-timed pass.

The winger, who recently produced a breakout performance against Nottingham Forest, glided past challenges with aplomb throughout the contest and played with the sort of swagger that once saw him emerge as the club’s most promising academy prospect.

You could argue that this showing was even more impressive than his three goal contributions game two Sundays back.

Negative #1: Lack of squad depth exposed

Mikel Arteta rang the changes from the side that beat Chelsea so impressively at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. William Saliba was the only player to keep his place, while there was a first Arsenal appearance for 20-year-old Karl Hein between the sticks.

This was another chance for the club’s fringe players to shine. Many failed to do so during the Europa League group stage, and the majority struggled again on Wednesday night.

The technical quality of the build-up was reduced significantly, while Sambi Lokonga and Fabio Vieira failed to work in tandem in midfield. Eddie Nketiah scored but was otherwise quiet, while Marquinhos failed to impress.

While there were bright periods, this was a disconnected performance from the Gunners which exposed their shortcomings in terms of squad depth. A couple of players must be signed in January if the Gunners are to build on their excellent start to the season.

Continued on the net slide…