You know that Albion are facing a big club when many papers send more than one writer to the Amex. And, with the Gunners going to the top of the table if they won, it was fair to say that none of them had headed for the Amex expecting to write much about Roberto De Zerbi’s men.
But even though the final result was probably what they all foresaw, many of the reporters recognised that it was far from one-way traffic.
David Hytner of The Observer wrote that “Brighton were unbeaten in their previous 14 matches in all competitions at the Amex Stadium; they were on a club record run of 12 top-flight home games without defeat. And for plenty of the first half, they showed why. They were slick on the ball, sharp with their movements. They asked questions.
“Arsenal had the answers. The game swung in their favour in the 33rd minute when Tariq Lamptey decided to lunge in on Gabriel Jesus inside the area. Although the Brighton right-back nicked a tiny bit of the ball first, it added up to a penalty when he clattered into Jesus. Bukayo Saka’s conversion from the spot was firm and precise.
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“Brighton were badly hit by injuries but they had come to play, as always. The range of their passing was impressive at the outset and the statement of intent came on nine minutes with a sweeping box-to-box move, driven by Lamptey. It ended with Julio Enciso firing high. De Zerbi tried to target Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal’s left-back, to get Simon Adingra one-on-one against him.
“Enciso had gone close to the equaliser on 44 minutes, shaping a curler for the far, top corner but David Raya was equal to it.”
In the Sunday Times, Paul Rowan wrote that “While Brighton matched Arsenal stride for stride for much of the first half, [Mikel] Arteta’s side became more dominant as the half progressed. Brighton were at their best creating half-chances, but Julio Enciso and Simon Adingra shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.
“When Adingra’s shot was inadvertently blocked by Danny Welbeck, it seemed to sum up the difference between the sides. Shortly before half time Enciso did get one on the money after cutting inside Saka, but David Raya produced a diving save.
“Brighton’s substitutes produced some momentum for the home side, but Arsenal’s defence looked rock-solid.”
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Long-time Albion admirer Sam Dean wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that “For a tired and understrength Brighton, there was no way back once Havertz had scored Arsenal’s second. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are never straightforward opponents but, having failed to convert their chances in the first half, they were eventually squashed underfoot. ‘With our injured players we can’t compete against Arsenal,’ said De Zerbi. ‘I am suffering because it is tough to lose.’
“Brighton had caused problems in the opening exchanges but Arsenal were still deserving of their lead when it arrived. Gabriel Jesus drove inside from the left, Lamptey swung a careless leg towards his ankles, and referee John Brooks promptly pointed to the spot. Saka happily buried his 17th goal of the campaign.”
According to Dan King of the Sun on Sunday, “the Seagulls caused Arsenal far fewer problems than they did Liverpool last weekend at Anfield. Arteta will hope De Zerbi’s team find those levels again when City come to the Amex later this month.
“But the Arsenal boss will feel even more confident that his side do not need help from others after they buried the ghosts of Brighton games and title challenges past. Brighton were a threat for a few minutes, with Julio Enciso scooping over the bar and Jakub Moder shooting wide. But De Zerbi soon became the more frustrated and animated manager. Already annoyed by some of referee John Brooks’ decisions, he was irritated with his team as they gave up three good chances.
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“In the good old days, Lamptey might have received a pat on the back for making faint contact on the ball before taking out Jesus with his follow-through. In the modern game, it is a foul and a penalty, and Saka shut out any bad memories by sending Verbruggen the wrong way.
“Enciso almost revived the deflated crowd with a fine effort that Raya saved superbly with an outstretched top hand. Verbruggen kept his team in it with a sharp stop from Odegaard’s rising rasper.
“With only one goal in it, tensions rose. Ex-Seagull Ben White made the most of an off-the-ball clash with Pervis Estupinan and there was all sorts going on off the ball when Brighton earned a corner. Havertz all but ended the argument. Jorginho played a one-two and cut the ball back for the German to force it in from close range.”
On the Sunday Mirror website, Tom Victor noted that “Roberto De Zerbi has made no secret of Brighton's injury problems, and there are two ways in which those issues manifest. It's not just being robbed of players mid-game, but also the challenge in keeping a consistent line-up throughout the season.
“Julio Enciso impressed going forward, while Jakub Moder threatened for the hosts early on. Both are recently back from long-term absences, though, meaning the individual moments aren't always matched by consistent fluidity.”
On the BBC website, Harry Poole recorded some painful statistics. “Brighton have won only three of their past 12 league games following this defeat, which ended a club record 12-match unbeaten top-flight home run.
“They have also scored just three times in their past eight fixtures across all competitions. As in their frustrating midweek goalless draw at Brentford, shortcomings in the final third were evident once again here.
“Boss Roberto de Zerbi, whose impact since last season has seen him linked with jobs at Liverpool and Bayern Munich, watched encouraging build-up play and effective pressing fail to translate into meaningful attempts on goal as Brighton managed just one shot on target in each half.”