Arsenal 1 – 1 Brighton – Match Report

A game that pivoted on the controversial sending off of Declan Rice early in the second half ended in a 1-1 draw.

Kai Havertz had put us into a first-half lead when he deftly lobbed the onrushing keeper after running onto a Bukayo Saka pass.

We were seemingly in control until Rice was shown red for two bookable offences, the second for time wasting, when the referee decided he had prevented a quick restart.

The visitors soon made their advantage count, and levelled on the hour through Joao Pedro. We had a chance to win it when Havertz raced through on the counter, but in the end the ten men had to settle for a single point.

Havertz gives us lift off

Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka linked up early on. The skipper lifted a ball over the top for the winger to run on to inside the area, but Saka failed to get any power on his volleyed effort. Ben White did catch his strike from the edge of the area sweetly moments later, and it seemed to be heading goalwards, but Lewis Dunk deflected it away for a corner off his arm. The referee waved away appeals for handball against the Brighton defender.

A wonderful curling cross from Leandro Trossard – in the team at the expense of Gabriel Martinelli – set up our next chance. The Belgian’s pass was perfectly into the path of the arriving Odegaard, but there was no power behind his shot.

Brighton’s first real sight of goal came on the half hour. Havertz misdirected his headed clearance inside his own box and Kaoru Mitoma latched onto it, flashing his volley just wide.

The goal to break the deadlock came out of nothing. Jurrien Timber won the ball and launched it up field from outside his own area. Saka won the header and the ball bounced through to the advancing Havertz. The German stole in and lifted the ball over the head of Bart Verbruggen from outside the area into the net.

It was Havertz’s 18th goal involvement in his last 21 Premier League games, and he’s scored five times in his last five appearances at Emirates Stadium.

Rice sees red

The first action of the second half was a Declan Rice shot deflected wide for a corner, and moments later Rice was the centre of attention again. He gave away a free kick by the corner flag, then nudged the ball away before Joel Veltman could take it. Referee Chris Kavanagh deemed it a second yellow card for timewasting, and dismissed the England midfielder.

Reduced to ten men for virtually half the game, it also means Rice will be suspended for the north London derby after the international break.

Within 15 minutes of the red card, Brighton had levelled. Raya saved well from Yankuba Minteh as he burst between our central defenders inside the box, but Pedro was there to convert the rebound.

Mikel Arteta reacted by sending on Riccardo Calafiori for Leandro Trossard, and moving Jurrien Timber into a central role.

Late chances

The whole momentum of the game had changed with the referee struggling to keep control.

We were having to soak up pressure, but Havertz had a great opportunity on the break from a long Gabriel clearance. He took the ball superbly on the run, but his low shot was stopped by Verbruggen, and Saka’s follow up was charged down.

Raya saved well with his legs from Yasin Ayari before Saka couldn’t quite get enough purchase on a Havertz cross in front of goal.

In the end we had to take a point, maintaining our unbeaten start to the season.

What’s next

The international players will now join up with their respective countries for the first international break of the season. We’ll return to action the following weekend, with the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the north London derby, on Sunday, September 15.