- Arsenal player ratings and more from today’s defeat at Brighton
- This is the Gunners’ 8th defeat of 2018 and their fourth in a row in all competitions
- Petr Cech made two errors as Arsenal went 2-0 down in the opening 26 minutes
- WATCH: Video: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s cheeky finish gives Arsenal a glimmer of hope vs Brighton
- WATCH: Video: Petr Cech error sees Arsenal go behind to Brighton as wait for 200th clean sheet goes on
Arsenal’s disastrous form continued this afternoon with a 2-1 defeat away to Brighton to give them their 8th loss of 2018 overall.
Goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray saw the hosts go 2-0 up in the opening 26 minutes thanks to two awful pieces of goalkeeping from Petr Cech.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back but it wasn’t enough for an Arsenal side low on confidence and ideas in basically every department right now.
Man of the match
Brighton were superb all round, but we’re giving it to the second of their two goal-scorers, Glenn Murray.
The in-form front-man put in a top performance once again for Chris Hughton’s side with a well-taken goal and a hard-working display up front to cause the visitors no end of trouble throughout.
Flop of the match
It’s hard to look past Petr Cech after two errors and another hugely unconvincing display from a goalkeeper who looks clearly past his best at this level.
Arsenal…
Awful defence: Check.
Weak midfield: Check.
Ineffective attack: Check.
Goalkeeper miles past his best: pic.twitter.com/Ka2FsrBIQo— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) March 4, 2018
The veteran shot-stopper was beaten to the ball from a corner early on as Brighton scored through Lewis Dunk, and he rather let Murray’s header slip under him for the second.
It’s hard to see how Arsene Wenger can justify continuing to pick Cech ahead of David Ospina, which just sums up what a sad state of affairs it is at Arsenal right now.
Stat of the match
Poor old Petr Cech…still stuck on 199 Premier League clean sheets, and if he plays like this he’s not going to get that 200th any time soon…
11 – Arsenal are now 11 Premier League games without a clean sheet, their longest run since February 2002 (also 11). Disastrous.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 4, 2018
Arsenal player ratings
Petr Cech – 4
Shkodran Mustafi – 6
Laurent Koscielny – 5
Calum Chambers – 5 (SUB: Hector Bellerin – 6)
Sead Kolasinac – 6
Granit Xhaka – 7
Jack Wilshere – 6
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6 (SUB: Eddie Nketiah – 6)
Alex Iwobi – 5 (SUB: Danny Welbeck – 5)
Mesut Ozil – 6
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7
Reaction
Not only are Arsenal fans in dismay at this result, they’re absolutely dreading the fact that it’s AC Milan up next for them…
It’s only AC Milan next.
— 2BM (@Si2BadMice) March 4, 2018
Wenger has to go today.
If not Milan will be bloody
— Don (@daldino) March 4, 2018
Dread to think what’s gonna happen vs a bang inform Milan midweek ? #Arsenal #Woeful
— RJ (@RonJohn1991) March 4, 2018
We’re not beating milan
— suli (@Suli__98) March 4, 2018
Massive L to Milan incoming.
— Jay (@scuzzyk) March 4, 2018