LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal Vs Brighton: 5 things we learned – It gets worse
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal look dejected after loosing the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
4. Stand up and be counted
Under Unai Emery, the players had an excuse for their lacklustre performances. Whether it was a genuine reason or not was up for debate, but they certainly leaned on Emery’s incompetence to protect their own reputations. Now, just two games later, that protection has been removed and their efforts laid bare.
The Arsenal players must stand up and be counted. This was not a tactical defeat. They did not lose because they are worse players. They had the quality and the coaching to win this match, as proven by a strong first five minutes and an excellent 15-minute period in the second half. They lost this game because they did not work hard enough.
Simple things. Marking players. Pressing the ball. Tracking runners. Playing good, hard passes. Providing options off the ball. Arsenal did not do the basics well; Brighton, on the other hand, were superb in this department. It is time for the players to stand up and be counted.
Arsenal season could get worse. I was wrong. Even after firing Unai Emery, which was the correct decision, the Gunners have proceeded to flounder in ways only this club seems to know how. Bar a 15-minute spell after half-time, the Gunners were thoroughly outplayed by Brighton and Hove Albion, eventually falling 2-1 with a scoreline that was rather kind on Freddie Ljungberg’s team.</p>
<h2><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pain-in-the-arsenal-podcast-on-arsenal-fc/id1314514440?ign-mpt=uo%3D4%26amp%3Buo%3D4&mt=2%22>Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Freddie’s First Foray</a></h2>
<p>Here are five things we learned.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-96115" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1192154826-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>5. Move the ball</h4>
<p>I wrote before the match that Arsenal needed to prove that they can move the ball quickly, both by being direct with long passes from back to front to expose defences and with quick, one-touch combinations to break out of high presses and create openings in the final third. There was very little of that, here.</p>
<p>This is not something to pin the blame on particular players. Yes, those passing the ball were ball, especially Sokratis and Hector Bellerin, but they also weren’t provided sufficient options to play forward passes into. Similarly, when the front three did get the opportunity to drive at Brighton’s backline, they caused problems, but they also stood 50 yards away from the ball, meaning that any pass into them was a near-impossible one.</p>
<p>In possession, Arsenal played without tempo, speed and accuracy. They invited Brighton to press high up the pitch, invariably failed to play through it when they did, and lacked any semblance of control of the match as a result. It is not a coincidence that when they got going in the second half, they played quickly. The Gunners can do it. They proved it here. But they now must replicate it for 90 minutes.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Stand up and be counted </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-96138" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1192167836-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal and Hector Bellerin of Arsenal look dejected after loosing the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>4. Stand up and be counted</h4>
<p>Under Unai Emery, the players had an excuse for their lacklustre performances. Whether it was a genuine reason or not was up for debate, but they certainly leaned on Emery’s incompetence to protect their own reputations. Now, just two games later, that protection has been removed and their efforts laid bare.</p>
<p>The Arsenal players must stand up and be counted. This was not a tactical defeat. They did not lose because they are worse players. They had the quality and the coaching to win this match, as proven by a strong first five minutes and an excellent 15-minute period in the second half. They lost this game because they did not work hard enough.</p>
<p>Simple things. Marking players. Pressing the ball. Tracking runners. Playing good, hard passes. Providing options off the ball. Arsenal did not do the basics well; Brighton, on the other hand, were superb in this department. It is time for the players to stand up and be counted.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3. Give Kolasinac credit </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-96132" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1192161532-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Sead Kolasinac of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after his teams first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>3. Give Kolasinac credit</h4>
<p>It was frustrating to see Kieran Tierney sitting on the bench for the second of Freddie Ljungberg’s games in charge. He has shown his quality in brief outings and is the long-term starter at left-back. So why is he not playing now? Well, let’s give his replacement the credit he deserves.</p>
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<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=sead+kolasinac%22>Sead Kolasinac</a> can be an infuriating watch. His bulldozing style belies his actual effectiveness: he looks very busy, industrious, powerful and impactful, but actually, his efforts are minimised with a lack of technical quality, poor decision-making and defensive vulnerabilities. But on Thursday night, he was excellent, one of Arsenal’s only positive performances.</p>
<p>He ploughed up and down the left flank with terrific speed and directness, delivered several excellent crosses into the box, an aspect of his game that usually falls short, and defended bravely and smartly also. Only once did he make a glaring error, not shutting down a cross with a half-hearted press.</p>
<p>Does this now mean that Kolasinac deserves to be Arsenal’s starting left-back? No, of course it doesn’t. And that Ljungberg still swapped his left-backs in the second half demonstrates this point. But this was a good performance from Bosnian, one he deserves to be praised for.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Freddie not to blame, but selections curious anyway </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Head coach Freddie Ljungberg of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium on December 05, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>2. Freddie not to blame, but selections curious anyway</h4>
<p>It would be foolish to blame to a manager who has still not been in the job a week and has had just three training sessions with his team, only two of which came prior to this match. As interim head coach<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=freddie+ljungberg%22> Freddie Ljungberg</a> has said time and again, there are only so many changes he can make to Unai Emery’s approach.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, his team selections in both matches have been curious, to say the least. Lucas Torreira is still an attacking midfielder, Mesut Ozil is now a winger, Kieran Tierney is now apparently worse than Sead Kolasinac, while Sokratis and David Luiz are back to being the best centre-halves. Nicolas Pepe, meanwhile, has vanished from existence, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is playing out wide.</p>
<p>Not all of these decisions are as problematic as the other — I actually don’t have a problem with Aubameyang playing out wide, for instance. But it is concerning that there are so many oddities with his team selections.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 1. This is what happens, Kroenke </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-42786" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F05%2F526527762-arsenal-v-norwich-city-premier-league-850x560.jpg" alt="Arsenal, Stan Kroenke" width="590" height="389" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/05/526527762-arsenal-v-norwich-city-premier-league-850x560.jpg 850w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/05/526527762-arsenal-v-norwich-city-premier-league-768x505.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 590px) 100vw, 590px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: Arsenal fans display a message for owner Stan Kroenke prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Norwich City at The Emirates Stadium on April 30, 2016 in London, England (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p>
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<h4>1. This is what happens, Kroenke</h4>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/?s=stan+kroenke%22>Stan Kroenke</a> is not directly responsible for Arsenal’s loss to Brighton on Thursday night. He is not the one who bought the players, he did not pick the team, he does not implement the tactics. But this is the result of years of negligence and acceptance of mediocrity.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Unwilling to sack Arsene Wenger because the Emirates was still full and the finances were healthy. Never investing in the squad, still the only owner in the Premier League not to invest a single penny of his own money. Hiring Unai Emery and then settling for the conservative Spaniard for far too long. These are just some of the egregious mistakes that the Kroenke ownership have commited.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://twitter.com/Orbinho/status/1200370565753851905">Per <em>Orbinho</em></a>, in the nine seasons pre-Kroenke, Arsenal had a win percentage of 59.5%. That dropped to 58.8% when he had a minor investment. Then it dropped further still to 56.5% with a major investment. And since when he took sole ownership? 49%. And you can now add two more winless matches to that percentage.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Arsenal Vs Brighton: Player ratings" data-url="https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-player-ratings-sead-kolasinac-lone-star/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-5-things-learned-gets-worse/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2019/12/05/arsenal-vs-brighton-player-ratings-sead-kolasinac-lone-star/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Arsenal Vs Brighton: Player ratings </a> </div>
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<p>Stan Kroenke has neglected Arsenal football club. And when the owner neglects a football club, this is what you get: a hapless team, without a coach, under a legless board, just five points above the relegation zone. Kroenke, this is on you.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
