Arsenal Kena Slam Dunk

What a game. Arsenal; still reeling from a 0-3 reverse to Manchester City just days ago; lost again; this time to relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. Arsenal started with a 3-4-3 formation; and it worked pretty well; with the structure looking strong and comfortable. Brighton; playing with a 4-4-1-1 formation; also looked nice & compact; and it was a pretty close match in the early going.

Arsenal had tried to isolate the pace of Nicolas Pepe with 6'6" left-back Dan Burn in the first half; and it was with this in mind that Graham Potter decided to bring on Solly March to help out defensively on the left flank in place of the more offense-oriented Aaron Mooy. It worked decently at first; but it was through this avenue that Arsenal opened the scoring in the 68th minute. Pepe managed to turn March; cut inside on his left foot; and unleashed a wicked curler that bulged the Brighton net. A classy goal; and from then on you sensed Arsenal would assert their authority and seize control of the match.

Then came the masterstroke from Potter. He brought on young talent Aaron Connolly for Pascal Gross; moved him in the No. 10 role behind Neal Maupay; and switched Leandro Trossard to the left flank with March over to the right. And it was through this sequence that Brighton got the equaliser. With the Arsenal defence seemingly in semi-conscious mode; Trossard released March from a short corner down the left flank; and March sent over a cross causing mayhem; with Maupay providing an audacious flick; before Lewis Dunk managed to slide-tackle the ball over the line; despite the best goal-keeping antics of Rob Holding on the goal-line.

Arsenal surged forward to try and get the winner; and at this point Brighton were simply trying to hang on. They tried desperately to run down the clock in the end; when suddenly the impressive Davy Propper; in trying to retain possession; flicked the ball over the left touch-line to substitute Alexis Mac Allister. The youngster played an incisive ball to Maupay; who feinted and ran onto the through-flick from Connolly; managing to score past Emiliano Martinez for a stunning injury-time winner.

Maupay had earlier caused a serious injury to Arsneal 'keeper Bernd Leno with an innocuous shoulder-barge and had been a literal thorn to the Arsenal side all afternoon. At the final whistle; it seemed the Arsenal players could hold back no longer; and several of them angrily confronted Maupay; with Matteo Guendouzi looking particularly irritated. It was indeed a sensational victory for Brighton; who will now look to cement their place in the division for next season. For Arsenal though; their Champions League hopes may just have faded into oblivion.