Brighton 1-1 Arsenal (Pedro pen 61′ | Nwaneri 16′)
AMEX STADIUM — Like Manchester United supporters the world over, Mikel Arteta will settle down to watch their meeting with Liverpool more in hope than expectation after Arsenal dropped more points against Brighton.
His team haven’t consistently produced the same level as previous seasons; seven draws already indicate that. This was supposed to be their year, third time lucky after two valiant tries trying to overhaul Manchester City, but the Premier League trophy is slipping from reach.
Liverpool’s five-point lead is not insurmountable, but they have two games in hand on the Gunners and still have to welcome them to Anfield. Arne’s boys have a big advantage on the chasing pack.
Perhaps being the hunters will suit Arsenal. They were 10 points better off at this stage of the 2022-23 season only to eventually be shot down by a relentless City.
They will have to act quickly, though, before the moving target gallops off into the distance.
A stalemate in Sussex was not the start to the New Year that Arteta wanted. Arsenal recorded impressive numbers in 2024 without lifting a trophy.
Along with Liverpool, they won the most Premier League games (26) and the most points (85). They had by far the best defensive record, conceding 25 goals (14 fewer than any other side) and were a close second in the attacking stats, scoring 89 goals (just three behind Liverpool).
“With those numbers, normally you win and we should have two Premier Leagues,” Arteta told Sky Sports, of his team’s record over the past two campaigns.
They are an excellent team but have been less convincing this campaign. Injuries have piled up, individual mistakes have crept in, luck has dried up.
For two years, virtually everything went right. Now the problems are mounting.
Illness ravaged their attack, with Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard only fit enough for second half cameos and Kai Havertz absent entirely.
With the injured Bukayo Saka also missing, Arteta was unable to start any of his four most prominent attackers. His front three had a Carabao Cup 4th-round feel to it, with the prodigious Ethan Nwaneri and out-of-form Leandro Trossard flanking a resurgent Gabriel Jesus.
Even so, it all started so well. Less than 24 hours after Luke Littler lit up Ally Pally, another 17-year-old produced a moment of magic.
Those who took their seats in the cold well before they needed to might have noticed Nwaneri’s unerring finishing in the warm-up. He wrapped one strike into the far bottom corner after another with the same level of precision as Littler hitting the double 10.
It took only 16 minutes for him to do it for real after bounding into space generously left for him by Brighton’s left-hand side. He has scored five goals in his first 20 senior matches and is a superstar in the making.
A more ruthless team than Brighton might have drawn level before the break, but Simon Adingra sliced his shot wide when the top corner was there to hit.
Fabian Hurzeler’s team lacked authority in the final third, but capitalised upon a rare misjudgement from William Saliba to equalise from the penalty spot.
It was an undeniably soft decision with Joao Pedro theatrically falling to the floor after Saliba’s forehead had made slight contact with his.
The Brazilian recovered to send David Raya the wrong way and earn his side a point.
“We are disappointed as well with the way the penalty is given. Very disappointed,” Arteta said.
“I have never seen it in my life, and Saliba touches the ball. For me, a clear no penalty.”
Arsenal could have even lost it, with Yankuba Minteh rolling a cross-shot just wide of the corner that Nwaneri had found late on.
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle probably comes at a good time, offering a break from the Premier League and a chance to reset.
With Liverpool playing twice in the league before their next game against Spurs, they can only hope that the gap hasn’t widened too considerably.
This is an extract of The Score. Sign up here to receive the newsletter every Monday morning this season for our verdict on all 20 Premier League clubs
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