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Arsenal's winless streak extends to nine games as Brighton claim deserved victory at the Emirates

Neal Maupay scored the winner for Brighton with 10 minutes remaining - Getty Images Europe
Neal Maupay scored the winner for Brighton with 10 minutes remaining - Getty Images Europe

The last time Arsenal went nine matches without a victory, in 1977, Freddie Ljungberg was still a few weeks away from being born. This is not just their worst run in years, but their worst run in decades. It is not all that far from being their worst run in half a century.

Two games into life as interim head coach, Ljungberg is only just beginning to appreciate the scale of the mess of his hands. Fifteen games into a Premier League season, Arsenal are 10 points off the top four and five points off the relegation zone. At this rate, it will not even be entirely churlish to suggest they might get dragged into a battle to avoid the drop.

Once again, the total lack of cohesion between Arsenal’s players was staggering. Brighton, a bright and imaginative side but still Brighton, popped the ball around the pitch with a precision and adventure which Arsenal have not shown for months. Brighton turned up at the Emirates, dominated the game and calmly pocketed three points they fully deserved.

If anything, the 2-1 scoreline was unfair on the visitors, rather than Arsenal. Graham Potter’s side exploited all of those familiar spaces in the Arsenal midfield, playing the better football and creating the better opportunities throughout.

They had lost their last three matches, and 15 of their last 16 away against the so-called ‘big six’ sides, but Brighton looked the bigger side at an Emirates Stadium that once again unleashed furious boos at the final whistle. Not even the lingering love for Ljungberg the player can protect a team that is performing at a level so far below where it should be.

Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka look dejected after Brighton & Hove Albion's Neal Maupay scored their second goal  - Credit: REUTERS
Where do Arsenal go from here? Credit: REUTERS

“They looked very short of confidence,” said Ljungberg of his players. “We did not show up in the first half. We were very passive, we did not move. They were very scared to get the ball, very scared to move and they were just standing still. We need to just dig out a win and get some confidence.”

Adam Webster and Neal Maupay did the damage for Brighton, scoring either side of an Alexandre Lacazette header, to trigger yet more questions for Arsenal. What does Ljungberg do from here? Where do they go now? Which manager would want to take over this squad?

The players themselves seem lost for answers. “I don’t know what to say,” said Hector Bellerin. “I have the feeling that whatever we do, it doesn't come out right.”

Brighton, by contrast, were doing everything right. Their dominance of possession was testament to the work done by Potter since he took over this summer, even if good results have not always followed their total change of philosophy.

To outpass and outplay Arsenal at the Emirates is proof of their quality as a footballing team, with Davy Propper and Aaron Mooy in control of the midfield. “It is nice to get a reward for how we are playing,” said Potter. “We did not park the bus. We pressed high, played through from the back. We showed enough quality and character.”

For the first 20 minutes, Brighton were tentative as they tested the water. Like a boxer finding his range, they then realised that their opponents were as vulnerable as a side like Arsenal can ever be. Brighton started to swing some punches and Arsenal could barely cope.

Freddie Ljungberg reacts at the Emirates  - Credit: Getty images
Freddie Ljungberg has realised the size of the task he faces Credit: Getty images

Lewis Dunk, Aaron Connolly, Propper and Maupay all had efforts in the minutes before Webster’s opener, which was smashed into the corner after Arsenal had been unable to clear a set piece.

Arsenal needed urgency and quality in response, and they found it in the first few minutes of the second half thanks to the introduction of Nicolas Pepe. The club-record signing’s added thrust led to Arsenal’s only spell of dominance, with Lacazette soon flicking Mesut Ozil’s corner into the net.

“I was sure we were going to win the game,” said Ljungberg of that second-half blitz. He was so agitated in the build-up to the goal, so desperate to force some life into his team, that he tripped over in his rush to get the ball back in play.

But Brighton kept surging forward through the gaps. Aaron Mooy had time to float his cross towards Maupay, whose header was accurate and firm. Ten minutes remained, but the lack of faith from this crowd, in this team, was reflected by the empty seats appearing all over the Emirates. Those who remained made clear that what they had seen was unacceptable.

10:08PM

The streak continues

There are boos around the Emirates and some furious faces among the Arsenal players. Something is going very, very wrong at the moment. Nine games without a win.

10:06PM

Full time

Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

10:06PM

90+3 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Almost a third for Brighton as Xhaka is caught on the ball near his goal and Trossard fires his shot over the bar. That might be that for this game.

10:04PM

90+2 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Arsenal cannot find a sight of goal.

10:04PM

90+1 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Job almost done for Brighton.

10:02PM

90 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

... Pepe will take it. But his soft effort brushes the wall on the way past the post and the corner comes to nothing. Four added minutes to play.

10:01PM

89 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Brighton make a change before the Arsenal corner is taken with Duffy on in place of Alzate (which means Brighton effectively have four centre-backs on the pitch now including right-back Burn). The corner is headed clear but Pepe then wins a soft free-kick from Trossard in a perfect spot 25 yards from goal...

9:59PM

87 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Great save from Ryan! Tierney delivers an excellent cross from the left, which Martinelli nods towards the far post and Ryan dives at full stretch to turn behind for a corner.

9:58PM

85 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

Brighton are dropping deeper, but Arsenal have not been able to create anything so far.

9:55PM

83 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

It's gone deathly quiet at the Emirates again.

9:54PM

82 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 2

It looks like Arsenal's winless streak is going to continue...

9:53PM

GOAL! Arsenal 1 Brighton 2 (Maupay)

Brighton are ahead again! And it's way too simple. Mooy is the provider, checking onto his right foot on the left wing and crossing for Maupay to guide a brilliant glancing header into the far post. A great header, but terrible marking from the Arsenal defence.

9:52PM

79 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Brighton are starting to threaten again. And time for another sub: Trossard for Gross.

9:50PM

78 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

LOL at this. Not sure why they aren't just giving it to Pepe and telling him to run at Burn.

9:49PM

76 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Arsenal's goalscorer Lacazette trundles off to be replaced by Martinelli.

9:48PM

75 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Mooy runs and runs and runs doesn't he? Not lacking in any work rate. Connolly is replaced by Montoya, which appears a defensive move from Brighton who see a corner leathered clear after a spot of pinball inside the Arsenal penalty area.

9:44PM

72 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

That's the end of Kolasinac's game - and a fine one it has been - to be replaced by Tierney.

9:42PM

69 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Oof, Ozil crashes a bouncing ball wide from 20 yards after some decent work from Lacazette down the left.

9:40PM

68 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

I tell you something for nothing: Arsenal are a changed side this half. Now Aubameyang is set free, only for Alzate to hare back and block the shot. They look susceptible on the break, but they also look like they could score at any moment. There are goals in this game.

Meanwhile, Luiz takes a yellow card for the team with a foul to prevent a Brighton break.

9:37PM

DISALLOWED GOAL! Arsenal 1 Brighton 1 (Luiz)

Ozil whips in a free-kick from the right and Luiz is totally unmarked before he nods in. But there's a reason why he found it all so easy... he (along with a few other Arsenal players) was miles offside. Not sure how that wasn't spotted by the linesman and required VAR to overturn the goal.

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9:35PM

62 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Arsenal look so stretched when Brighton are on the attack and suddenly the visitors are in again. Alzate lifts a lovely cross from the right, Mooy nods it goalwards and Maupay is just about to turn it in before Leno flings himself at the ball to punch it behind. That was very close to another Brighton goal.

9:32PM

60 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Yellow card for Gross for deliberate handball high up the pitch to stop an Arsenal counter.

9:31PM

58 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Arsenal's left-back has been one of their most dangerous players tonight.

9:28PM

56 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Gosh, there are Arsenal goals coming. This time Aubameyang is inches away from getting on the end of a Kolasinac cross.

9:27PM

55 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

This looks like a totally different Arsenal side in this second half and it seems Pepe has been told to have some fun with Burn down the right. Bellerin does superbly to win the ball a cracking slide tackle inside the Brighton penalty area and he fizzes in a fine cross, which evades everyone.

9:25PM

53 min - Arsenal 1 Brighton 1

Down the other end go Brighton on the break and Connolly, head down, charges towards goal before opting to shoot when Mooy was the correct option unmarked to his left. The visitors get a corner from his efforts but they cannot do anything with it.

9:24PM

GOAL! Arsenal 1 Brighton 1 (Lacazette)

Well, that didn't take long to turn around after the break. Ozil whips in a fine corner, Lacazette wins the header at the near post and it loops all the way into the goal in the far corner where Kolasinac was busy bearing down on Brighton keeper and defender without getting any touch.

9:20PM

48 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

Pepe is again involved from the corner, before a heavy Torreira touch sees him lose the ball just as he's about to shoot from the edge of the box. Better already from the hosts.

9:19PM

47 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

Pepe has gone over the right flank, with Ozil moving into Willock's position behind Lacazette. "They can't get much worse than that first half," says Alan Shearer on commentary. But it is only 1-0 and Pepe is straight into the action exchanging a neat one-two with Ozil to win Arsenal a corner.

9:18PM

46 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

No surprise to see Arsenal make a half-time change with club-record signing Pepe on in place of Willock. Can he make any impact?

9:04PM

Half-time

The Emirates Stadium is not a happy place right now. That has been largely terrible from Arsenal, who started brightly and faded away shockingly. Ljungberg has some serious work to do. They will have to come from behind yet again.

9:02PM

45+1 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

A late yellow card for Sokratis for a foul on Connolly. One final chance for Brighton? Nope, Gross' cross is headed clear, the whistle goes and boos ring around the Emirates.

9:01PM

45 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

No penalty! Lacazette crashes theatrically to the ground under pressure in the box, but the referee waves away his appeals. Lacazette and Aubameyang then have a right to-and-fro as a pass goes astray.

8:59PM

43 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

Arsenal are being torn apart again. Connolly only has to find Maupay for a clear shot on goal inside the penalty area, but his pass is poor and a returning defender is able to intercept just in the nick of time. The Emirates is seriously quiet.

8:56PM

41 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

Finally, Arsenal show something. Auba picks the ball up on the right, shows some lovely skill and dinks in a beautiful cross, which Willock should probably score on the edge of the six-yard box but his header is saved by Ryan's feet. Auba v Burn is a total mismatch if Arsenal can exploit it.

8:54PM

38 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

8:53PM

37 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 1

What have you got Ljungberg? Your team are capitulating.

8:52PM

GOAL! Arsenal 0 Brighton 1 (Webster)

Well, it had been coming for some time. A Brighton corner is well won by Burn, Connolly then chests it down and Webster lashes in from 10 yards out. Fully deserved for the visitors.

8:51PM

35 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Arsenal haven't won a second ball or a tackle in about 10 minutes. They appear to be visibly falling apart.

8:49PM

34 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Brighton have bossed these last 15 minutes or so and Leno is forced to save at full stretch from a decent long-range Maupay strike. Moments later, the Arsenal keeper is again called into action to hold onto a Propper shot. There is some serious unhappiness audible in the stands. The players are moaning at each other and the crowd are on their back.

8:47PM

32 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

"It's pretty dull at this moment in time," is Alan Shearer's verdict on commentary. Despite his decision to use eight words when just the first three would suffice, I do agree with him.

8:45PM

30 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

This is rubbish from Arsenal. They keep getting caught on the ball and are just so ponderous.

8:43PM

28 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

"Shoooooooooot," is the roar when first Xhaka and then Torreira have the ball about 25 yards from the Brighton goal. Neither manage to do so, but the fall finds its way to Aubameyang, whose effort dribbles past the far post.

8:41PM

26 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

A threatening period here from Brighton. Now Connolly drives dangerously at the Arsenal defence, who are forced to bundle the ball behind yet another corner. It is eventually worked in by Mooy where Maupay thrashes it across the face of goal from the far post and Connolly is inches away from tapping into an empty net but cannot quite reach it.

8:39PM

24 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Another Brighton corner is met by Webster, but his header requires only a routine save from Leno.

Our man Sam Dean is at the Emirates:

8:38PM

22 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

... Gross opts for power from the free-kick, but the result is the ball thundering straight into the wall and away to safety.

8:37PM

21 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

My word that is close to a Brighton penalty! Bellerin hauls Connolly down right on the edge of the Arsenal box - it's a clear foul and Bellerin receives a yellow card for his troubles. But the verdict is free-kick because the offence began about 10 inches outside the penalty area. This set piece could barely be any closer to the goal...

8:34PM

18 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Better from Arsenal with Kolasinac the provider from deep down the left and Ozil finds some space in behind... but he does so at the expense of legality and is ruled offside. Down the other end Leno holds on comfortably to a long-range Connolly strike.

8:31PM

15 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Connolly and Maupay are defending from the front for Brighton, which at least is forcing Arsenal a bit deeper than the home side would like. Not a lot happening for either side right now.

8:26PM

11 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

This game is almost wholly being played in the Brighton half.

8:25PM

10 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Ozil seems to be playing in all manner of different positions today. This time he appears in his nominal left midfield position and delivers long to win a corner off SIX-FOOT SEVEN-INCH left-back Burn. That first corner is bundled away by Brighton for a second, which ends up with a fairly harmless low drive from Luiz.

8:22PM

7 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Now Brighton have a corner, which Xhaka heads clear at the near post and Mooy's secondary cross is marginally too long.

8:20PM

4 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

It's nowhere near full for this first match in charge at the Emirates for Ljungberg. Arsenal have definitely started the brighter of the two sides though and Bellerin makes good ground up the right flank to win a corner, which is hooked away by Maupay.

8:17PM

2 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Neat work from Arsenal in these early stages as Lacazette finds space in the Brighton penalty area and looks to thread in Aubameyang, but Dunk cuts the ball out just in the nick of time.

8:16PM

1 min - Arsenal 0 Brighton 0

Lacazette gets the match underway and Leno is called into action immediately to hare off his line and sweep up from a long Brighton hoof.

8:14PM

Game time

The formalities are complete. Arsenal in red. Brighton in black. Let's do this.

8:11PM

Who comes next?

One more final piece of Arsenal pre-reading (sorry Brighton fans): Arsenal step up search for new manager, focusing on candidates who are currently available

Have a quick read because it's almost game time.

7:54PM

Bren out?

Some more exclusive breaking news for you courtesy of our man John Percy and this time it relates to Arsenal:  Leicester have opened talks with Brendan Rodgers over a lucrative new contract in a bid to kill off his links with a potential move to Arsenal. Here's a snippet:

Arsenal are understood to have considered Rodgers as a prime candidate to replace Unai Emery, who was sacked last week, but Leicester are now putting the finishing touches to a new deal for the Northern Irishman.

7:48PM

Look who's (potentially) back

Briefly stepping away from this match, I bring you news that Marco Silva has been sacked as Everton manager and David Moyes is favourite to return to Goodison Park. You can read all about that here.

7:42PM

Reason to be positive (for Arsenal fans)

7:24PM

The visitors

Brighton have also changed things slightly from their defeat at Anfield on Saturday with Maupay and Alzate returning to the starting XI. Brazilian defender Bernardo, who has been out for three months with a knee injury, is on the bench.

7:21PM

Changes

This, courtesy of our man Sam Dean, is what Ljungberg has decided to do tonight:

7:19PM

Team news

Your teams are in...

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7:09PM

History in the making?

7:00PM

Football time

Good evening and welcome to the final night of the Premier League's first Amazon Prime bonanza. You are probably here because you haven't paid your £7.99 per month to subscribe to their service. Or perhaps you have done and you're dual-screening it. Whatever brings you here: hello.

Tonight sees Freddie Ljungberg's Arsenal host Graham Potter's Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium. On paper, it should prove a simple enough task for the hosts. But things aren't quite going to plan.

Ljungberg's first match at the (temporary) helm on Sunday saw the familiar problem of Arsenal's defensive frailties emerge in a 2-2 draw at Norwich. Having only been in charge for two days at that point, he hadn't had much time to put his stamp on things. Whether he can fix Arsenal's vulnerability at the back just a few days on is doubtful.

It will be interesting to see who he opts for in his starting XI tonight, having raised eyebrows with his team selection on Sunday. Arsenal's last Premier League victory came almost two months ago in a 1-0 win against Bournemouth and they are winless in eight games in all competitions.

Brighton are also struggling somewhat, although their travails are to be more expected. Having faced Liverpool, Leicester City and Manchester United in their last three Premier League games, tonight's match continues a pretty hellish run for Potter's side. If they can get anything out of this one it will be an achievement after three successive defeats.

This one kicks off in a chilly north London at 8.15pm.