In the most recent Premier League clash, Arsenal’s winning streak was halted by Brighton and Hove Albion with a 1-1 draw at The Emirates on a Saturday game. The home team held onto the game with just 10 playing members after Declan Rice saw red in the second half.
Arsenal established control in the first half, delivering an impressive performance, which awarded them a deserved lead at half-time, thanks to a skilled goal from Kai Havertz in the 38th minute, ably assisted by Bukayo Saka. However, the tide turned against Arsenal in the second half. Rice received his second yellow card and consequently was dismissed, making Arsenal’s task significantly more complex. Subsequently, Brazilian forward Joao Pedro successfully tied the game for Brighton 12 minutes later.
The encounter produced recognised opportunities for both teams to secure victory near the end but they had to be content with a draw, maintaining both Arsenal’s and Brighton’s undefeated status in their first three games.
Last season, Arsenal narrowly missed out on marking their first Premier League win since 2004 and they were off to a cracking start this term. However, present champions Manchester City are also starting confidently with two victories out of two games. Therefore, Arsenal understands the severe implications of even the slightest mishaps at this early stage.
The match seemed to be heading Arsenal’s way with their commanding first-half display, though Captain Martin Odegaard might have further extended the lead earlier on, before Havertz added the second for the season. The game swung in Brighton’s favour when Rice was shown a second yellow for hindering Brighton’s quick free kick, a decision that caused surprise amongst the spectators. Since Mikel Arteta turned the helm at Arsenal on December 26, 2019, Arsenal has accumulated 16 red cards in the Premier League, at least three more than any other team. Interestingly, this was Rice’s first red card in his 245 Premier League matches.
Last weekend’s victor against Manchester United, Pedro, was quick to react after a saved shot from Yankuba Minteh and evened the score for Brighton, leading to a more open game. On one occasion, Saka nearly stole the victory late into the match and Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, had to be on his best form on multiple occasions to prevent Brighton from taking the entirety of the points. However, both sides appeared satisfied to settle for a draw in an enthralling contest.