Daily Bits and Bobs

Right up the Albion…

Posted on by rico

 

Morning all.

Arsenal and Brighton have a bit of history. Recent I know but there was the injury to Bernd Leno, the spat at the end involving Matteo Guendouzi and now the above which you can draw your own conclusion as to what it means. The bloke in the photo, Maupay, was involved in it all. What followed was a strange string of events really for Arsenal. Emi Martinez stepped took over in goal and excelled but was then sold. In came Runasson who was so inexperienced, Arsenal had to bring in Matt Ryan on loan and it was he who was in goal for Brighton back in June 2020.

Arsenal won the FA Cup at the end of that Covid hit season. Brighton won nothing. The 20201/21 season brought better results against Graham Potter’s team. At The Amex, Alexandre Lacazette scored the only goal of the game to ensure Arsenal left the south coast with maximum points and then earlier this year, the final fixture of last season, two goals from Pepe ensured Potter’s men went back to the south coast with nothing.

An extra bit of spice to today’s fixture is that Ben White will be lining up against his old team.

Brighton are the team being talked about at the moment, probably because a win against Crystal Palace last Monday night would have left the top of the League. They drew thanks to a 95th minute goal from Maupay. They got lucky, very very lucky. Their victories have come against Burnley, Watford, Leicester City and Brentford.

Enock Mwepu and Marc Cucerella joined Brighton in the summer along with keeper Kjell Scherpen who has been injured and a couple of others who went straight out on loan. I’ve no idea whether or not they’ve made much of an impact on their team performances. What’s more important to Arsenal fans is the impact our new players have had on Mikel Arteta’s team.

Arsenal’s only injury is Granit Xhaka. Brighton have lots according to Graham Potter but we’ll see how many manage to make a miraculous recovery before 5.30pm.

Arsenal have had a week of basking in the warm and fuzzy feeling after the NLD win but that ends today. Today is about a totally different game and opposition. Potter’s team will be more aggressive, will press high up the pitch and I think they’ll have more energy in attack than the likes of Kane and Son offered.

I’ve watched a few clips of Brighton and in my opinion, Arsenal can get through, over and behind their defence with ease if the passing is swift and accurate. Leicester beat their defence three times but the offside flag ruled out two. Crystal Palace could have won, as could Brentford but as we know, if a team can’t score goals, they won’t win football matches.

I hope Mikel Arteta’s team take their game to Brighton. Hit them hard and fast early and be ruthless in front of goal. As said last weekend after the Toots game, Arsenal can’t afford to undo all the good they’ve done over the last couple of weeks by putting in a lacklustre performance today. For what it’s worth, I don’t think they will.

Finally, the under 23’s thumped Brighton 3-0 last night, playing their first ever fixture at The Emirates. Balogun scored two, Salah-Eddine with the other. Kevin Betsy’s team now sit pretty at the top of their table. For now anyway.

See you in the comments.

 

 

 

rico

45 thoughts on “Right up the Albion…”

  3. Aussie Geoff says:

    Morning Rico and all
    Should be a good game, hopefully we come out fighting from the very start and show no mercy

  4. potter says:

    it sounds obvious but we need to score early and then pile on the pressure to put the game out of reach.
    Another 3 nil at half time would be very welcome .
    Seems that Arteta and Leno have been having words , reckon he will continue the Germanis exodus in January possibly taking Kolasinac with him .
    Eddie wants first team football and is looking at Villa apparently however would Watkins & Ings be any easier to displace . He would be a bench warmer hoping for an injury.

  5. Cicero says:

    Chores done and dusted.

    I expect to see the same starting eleven as last week with the exception of Sambi for the injured Xhaka. I’m resigned to the fact that Arteta will not omit Aubameyang.

    Football gossip: Arsenal want to sign Napoli striker and captain Lorenzo Insigne, but he’s thirty years old and probably looking for a three year contract and a substantial wage as a boost to his pension fund.

  6. potter says:

    He is 5 foot 4 , 2 1/2 ” smaller than Messi , I would suggest not really suited to English football .

  9. allezkev says:

    Sky News Australia always seems to be on the money although I’m not sure about the ominously woke ABC, a corporation styled along the lines of the simply awful BBC. How on earth did this happen to country that I always associated with for its total lack of bullshitery and where on earth did you get all your politicians from, are you importing them from the US..?

  11. rico says:

    Brighton XI: Sanchez, Cucurella, Dunk, Maupay, Trossard, Gross, Lallana, Moder, Duffy, Burn, Veltman

    Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Connolly, Mac Allister, March, Locadia, Roberts, Richards, Sarmiento

    Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, Tierney, White, Partey, Gabriel, Saka, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang, Tomiyasu, Lokonga

    Subs: Leno, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Pepe, Tavares, Elneny, Martinelli

  12. potter says:

    Come on Norwich , no other reason than they are local and I don’t like Burnley.

    Team as expected only choice was Lokonga , AMN or Elneny .
    So lets start quickly and get at them early.

  16. Cicero says:

    Arteta resisted the urge to tinker with his starting eleven, is that the first time he’s started ten of the eleven he selected for the previous game?

  25. andrewh1313 says:

    Got to make the most of being 0-0. Can’t get a hold of the game in midfield. Not missing Xhaka are we?😀

  26. Cicero says:

    We’re under the cost, credit to Brighton but we need to get a grip.

    Has Aubameyang actually touched the ball yet?

  29. andrewh1313 says:

    Rico 😀

    Auba and Partey both lacking sharpness. Tomi not used to weather like this in Italy and Japan. Think AMN should replace.

    Pepe on for Ode.

  36. andrewh1313 says:

    In those conditions, take a point. But so many balls either given away or second to. At one time I couldn’t see how we could get out of our own half.

    😀Cicero

  37. andrewh1313 says:

    Love the way late VAR calls repeatedly looks for an Arsenal foul. Surprised they didn’t call Moss over to see if he could see anything! They never showed our VAR checks on tv.

  38. Devilgunner says:

    Good evening Rico and all

    A clean sheet, undefeated for 4 games and nicked a point. Granted, it would have been better if we won, but the fact that we kept a clean sheet is a very important aspect which shouldn’t be discarded.

    Imo Laca should have been there from the beginning. Auba is the captain though and it was expected that he would begin.

    I am not unhappy with the result. 46 more games to go to equal the unbeaten run.😉😉

  39. Joaquim Moreira says:

    The coach doesn’t understand that against a team like this, with these weather conditions and the field in these conditions, he has to put on stronger players that better adapt to the conditions. If the opponent is physically superior and has the weather and the field in his favor, Arsenal will soon start to lose 1-0.

  40. rico says:

    Definitely a lucky afternoon for Arsenal. A point gained.

    Disappointed with the performance but onwards and hopefully upwards.

    Evening Devil.

  41. Sue says:

    Not great; ESR, that Ramsdale save and Gabriel losing another tooth (home and away against Brighton now!!) were the only highlights for me..
    A point is better than nowt though I guess. The thought of going up to 7th (nosebleed territory) was too much for us, so 10th it is!

    Well done to the ladies.. another 4 goals – just the norm!

  42. Cicero says:

    Arteta has ensured that we have a more resilient defence, one capable of keeping clean sheets whilst cutting out some of the suicidal errors of the recent past, but it is all too obvious that we are not going to win many games for as long as we rely for our goals on Aubameyang as our main striker.

    Surely Arteta must be aware of the lackadaisical manner in which Aubameyang is jogging through games and wasting the few chances that are created for him. Other options are available and should be tried, Lacazette, Martinelli, Balogun and Nketiah deserve a chance to shine, they may or may not turn out to be the answer to our goal drought but it is certain that they could do no worse than Arteta’s first choice striker.

    Good night all.

  43. Aussie Geoff says:

    Just watched 5 minute highlights looked like a decent amount of rain but you can’t blame the weather for results how ever it seemed Ramsdale saved us. Glad we got a draw much better than a lose.

  44. ScottfromOz says:

    Scrappy game-conditions played their part, but I think a point was a fair result.
    We could easily have won, but so could they.
    I doubt too many teams will roll Brighton when they’re at home this season though.
    Did anyone else think the ESR challenge was worth a look???
    Seemed there was an arm made contact as well as legs.
    Seen much softer ones given.
    I’m not even saying it was a penalty, but surely a look was justified.
    Anyway, 10 points from the last 12 on offer-we’d have all taken that after the seasons start.

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