Brighton vs Arsenal 20/06/20

After losing to Manchester City in midweek, Arteta’s men were keen to return to winning ways against Brighton. Sitting in 9th, a win felt vital to preserve their European aspirations. Despite taking the lead, Arsenal conceded twice to give Brighton an important 3 points. Having lost for the first time in 2020 on Wednesday, they now have back to back losses.

BEST PLAYER - LEWIS DUNK

When deciding on the best player, it was hard to ignore Brighton’s captain. Lewis Dunk ensured that Arsenal had to wait until the 67th minute to score, blocking the joint-most shots and clearing the ball 3 times to alleviate pressure. Whilst impressive, it is what Dunk did on the ball that made him stand out. Consistent with their ‘pass out from the back’ style, Dunk had the third most touches (43) and the highest pass accuracy (92%) of any Brighton starter, showing his effectiveness at penetrating Arteta’s high press. Dunk also scored the equaliser, giving Brighton the confidence to go on and find the winner.

WORST PLAYER - HECTOR BELLERIN

It was a day to forget for Arsenal’s right back, Hector Bellerin, as the Spaniard was Arsenal’s weak link. Despite having the 4th most touches (59), he had the lowest passing accuracy of any starter (only 80%) and failed to complete any of his 3 attempted crosses, frequently allowing Brighton to counter attack. Moreover, once he lost possession, his attempts to regain the ball were often clumsy. Even though he made the most tackles and interceptions (3), he also gave away the most fouls, allowing Brighton to regroup and slow the game down.

UNDERRATED PLAYER - PASCAL GROß

With Brighton’s most assists in 2 of the last 3 seasons, Pascal Groß is widely recognised as their creative hub. Yesterday was not too different as Pascal Groß made 1 of Brighton’s 4 key passes and attempted 9 crosses (more than double the next highest). However, he also showed that he is useful out of possession. Making 5 tackles and 1 interception, Groß often won the ball back for Brighton, before picking out a teammate to move his side up the pitch. Perhaps we are seeing him move from a 10 to more of a number 8 as he ages.