Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Brighton: Gunners Take Advantage of Man City Slip Up

Arsenal produced an uninspiring but winning performance against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night, Bukayo Saka scoring the only goal of the game as the Gunners capitalized on dropped points for Premier League title rivals Manchester City.

Brighton were the side in the ascendancy before and after Saka’s deflected opener in the ninth minute. His whipped effort ricocheted off Carlos Baleba on its way beyond the bamboozled Bart Verbruggen and Arsenal were fortunate to be ahead at the break following a tepid performance.

The Gunners were similarly flat during a drab second half, utilizing a defensive game plan to stifle their increasingly frustrated hosts, and their watertight backline held firm to secure a crucial 1–0 triumph at the Amex Stadium.

Arsenal’s victory proved particularly significant as title rivals City stumbled to a 2–2 draw with Nottingham Forest in a fixture which kicked off at the same time, meaning Mikel Arteta’s men are now a slightly healthier seven points clear of their title rivals—albeit having played a game more.

Winners and Losers

Winners

Concerns over William Saliba’s absence prior to kick off quickly evaporated on the south coast, Gabriel serving up an inspired performance to cover for the unavailability of his usual center back partner. An early clearance off the line spared the blushes of David Raya following an uncharacteristic error from the goalkeeper and that set the tone for an imperious display.

There were injury concerns regarding Declan Rice, too, but the midfielder was still called into action, unlike Saliba. During a showing of little quality and excitement from an Arsenal perspective, the industrious Englishman stole attention with another indefatigable display, covering every single blade of grass.

Losers

A well-taken brace for Viktor Gyökeres in the north London derby has proved to be another false dawn for the towering Swede. Starved of any notable opportunities and clumsy when collecting the ball, it was little surprise to see him sacrificed on the hour mark for the more elegant Kai Havertz. While his teammates must shoulder blame for failing to serve him, Gyökeres simply must offer more while leading the line.

Mikel Arteta appears unconvinced by either of his left wing options. Leandro Trossard underwhelmed against Chelsea and it was the turn of Gabriel Martinelli to flounder on the flank against Brighton. The Brazilian managed just 16 touches, an expected assists score of 0.06 and zero shots or successful dribbles.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Brighton (4-2-3-1)

Bukayo Saka was on the scoresheet again. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images.

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—8.2: Bailed out by Gabriel after a wayward pass in the opening minutes but was otherwise solid.

RB: Jurriën Timber—8.2: Brighton’s intensity pushed the Dutchman back, yet he still notched an assist to follow up his weekend header. Defensively sound, too.

CB: Cristhian Mosquera—7.2: Forced to walk a tightrope after an early booking and found lacking the confidence of Saliba in possession, making it difficult for Arsenal to play through Brighton’s relentless press. Not an entirely convincing outing.

CB: Gabriel—8.2: An authoritative performance single-handedly kept Arsenal alive during the first half and he led by example under pressure after the restart.

LB: Piero Hincapié—7.6: Unflappable against Diego Gómez, winning almost every individual duel across the evening.

DM: Martín Zubimendi—6.9: Silkier performances from the Spaniard have been on show this season but Zubimendi was still elegant in possession.

DM: Declan Rice—7.9: Shrugged off an injury scare to deliver another all-action midfield performance, bounding up and down the pitch like a race-winning thoroughbred.

RW: Bukayo Saka—7.4: Scored only his second goal of the calendar year and worked tirelessly off the ball despite providing little creativity in wide areas.

AM: Eberechi Eze—6.8: Bar one exquisite through ball early in proceedings, Eze failed to spark much magic in an attacking midfield role. Unfortunately, he can’t play Tottenham every week.

LW: Gabriel Martinelli—6.2: Arguably fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty after tangling with Mats Wieffer in the area and was anonymous in the Brighton box.

ST: Viktor Gyökeres—6.0: After struggling against Chelsea, Gyökeres found life similarly difficult at the Amex Stadium. Surrendered possession easily and was offered no service.

SUB: Kai Havertz (59’ for Gyökeres)—6.4: Offered more than Gyökeres without ever really troubling Brighton.

SUB: Leandro Trossard (59’ for Martinelli)—6.1: Rarely involved after his introduction.

SUB: Riccardo Calafiori (64’ for Mosquera)—6.0 Helped Arsenal keep their clean sheet intact as Brighton pushed forward

SUB: Christian Nørgaard (80’ for Zubimendi)—5.9: Barely touched the ball in his brief cameo.

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke.

What the Ratings Tell Us

Eberechi Eze was quiet. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images.

Piero Hincapié and Jurriën Timber both delivered assured displays against tricky Brighton wide men. Few teams can lay claim to a more impressive fullback duo than the Gunners, who boast immense depth with Riccardo Calafiori and Ben White as deputies.
After his north London derby heroics, Eberechi Eze reverted to spectator mode at the Amex Stadium. Like the rest of his fellow forwards, he was unable to stamp his authority on the game, struggling to find space up against a combative Brighton midfield. Arsenal miss the creativity of their absent captain, Martin Ødegaard.
Despite writing his name on the scoresheet on the south coast, Bukayo Saka was ever so quiet. The winger looked fatigued after a quick turnaround between fixtures and will likely be handed a well-earned rest against Mansfield Town this weekend.

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal’s Vital Victory

Arsenal celebrate — Arsenal fought hard for three crucial points. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images.

An early opener helped Arsenal to the perfect start on a tricky away day, Saka’s strike registering an XG total of just 0.01. A fortuitous goal was their only shot of the first half as they struggled to conjure chances.
Things didn’t get much prettier after the restart, either. Arsenal finished up with just two shots on target having created zero big chances. Without their usual set-piece magic, it was a real slog for the Gunners.
Brighton enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, Arsenal having just 40% of the ball. Arteta’s men were content with soaking up pressure and wasting time at the Amex—tactics which ultimately worked for the Gunners as they clinched a vital win.

Statistic	Brighton	Arsenal
Possession	60%	40%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.80	0.43
Total Shots	11	7
Shots on Target	3	2
Big Chances	2	0
Passing Accuracy	82%	71%
Fouls Committed	14	12
Corners	4	3