BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 31: Players of Arsenal celebrate after Martin Odegaard (obscured) of Arsenal scores the team's second goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on December 31, 2022 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Brighton 2-4 Arsenal: Player ratings as Gunners end 2022 seven points clear
Forwards
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring on New Year’s Eve. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka (RW) – 7/10 – Got Arsenal off to the perfect start with a relatively simple finish in the opening stages. Saka wasn’t particularly dominant otherwise, and he grabbed his fourth booking of the league season.
Eddie Nketiah (ST) – 7/10 – Worked his socks off and was back on the scoresheet with a typical poacher’s effort.
Gabriel Martinelli (LW) – 7.5/10 – It was a battle of the live wires down the left as Martinelli was often left isolated against Tariq Lamptey. The Brighton defender won several battles but it was the Brazilian who won the war as he got in behind his marker to score Arsenal’s fourth.
Substitutes
Takehiro Tomiyasu – 5/10
Kieran Tierney – 5/10
Mohamed Elneny – 5/10
Rob Holding – N/A
#BHAARS</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://t.co/iUQsFdOUYi">pic.twitter.com/iUQsFdOUYi
<p>— Arsenal (@Arsenal) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1609257767092604928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>December 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Kaoru Mitoma’s goal ignited a brief Brighton resurgence, but Gabriel Martinelli restored Arsenal’s three-goal advantage when he latched onto Odegaard’s pinpoint pass before scoring.</p>
<p>The resilient hosts didn’t go away, however, and they scored a second after Evan Ferguson capitalised on a William Saliba mistake. That set up a rather chaotic finish which facilitated a rare Rob Holding Premier League appearance, but Arsenal clung on to their 4-2 advantage to move seven points clear at the top.</p>
<h2>Brighton 2-4 Arsenal player ratings</h2>
<p>Here are the Arsenal player ratings from their New Year’s Eve victory at the Amex.</p>
<h2>Goalkeeper & Defenders</h2>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-131446" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1245902903.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902903.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902903-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Oleksandr Zinchenko came close to doubling Arsenal’s lead in the opening ten minutes. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – 5/10 –</strong> Two goals conceded and a couple of hairy moments from set pieces in albeit testing conditions.</p>
<p><strong>Ben White (RB) – 6.5/10 –</strong> Dealt with Mitoma’s one-vs-one threat well, but did have a few issues containing Pervis Estupinan’s third-man runs from deep. Still, White produced a couple of standout moments with and without the ball.</p>
<p><strong>William Saliba (CB) – 4.5/10</strong> – Is Saliba becoming error-prone?</p>
<p><strong>Gabriel (CB) – 7/10 –</strong> How the tables have turned! The once imperious Saliba has seemingly caught Gabriel’s bozo gene, which seems to have escaped the Brazilian. Despite picking up an unnecessary booking for time-wasting before half-time, this was yet another composed showing from the left-footed defender.</p>
<p><strong>Oleksandr Zinchenko (LB) – 6.5/10 –</strong> The wise old (he’s 26, I know) head returned to the starting XI and immediately had an impact by playing a role in Arsenal’s opener. This was a steady Zinchenko performance, but he makes such a difference.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></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/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Midfielders </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>Midfielders</h2>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-131449" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1245902777.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902777.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902777-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">The star man at the Amex. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>Thomas Partey (DM) – 7.5/10 –</strong> Arsenal were so comfortable at the Amex that even Partey got a rest! The Ghanaian set up his side’s early opener with some excellent work in defensive transition and was typically efficient with the ball. Chaos ensued after his departure.</p>
<p><strong>Granit Xhaka (CM) – 6/10 –</strong> A quiet night from an attacking sense from Xhaka, but he got through some important defensive work, especially in the closing stages.</p>
<p><strong>Martin Odegaard (CM) – 8.5/10 –</strong> I’d barely recovered from his <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://twitter.com/karthikadhaigal/status/1609246751130800130" target="_blank" rel="noopener">absolutely disgusting pass</a> to Gabriel Martinelli when the skipper doubled Arsenal’s lead with a fine finish from inside the Brighton box. This was yet another all-encompassing display from Odegaard, who may well be the Premier League’s most in-form player. His eventual assist for Martinelli was filth.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></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/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Forwards & Subs </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>Forwards</h2>
<div id="attachment_131445" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-131445" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/31/brighton-2-4-arsenal-player-ratings/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2132,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1245902821.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2132" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902821.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1245902821-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Bukayo Saka opened the scoring on New Year’s Eve. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<p><strong>Bukayo Saka (RW) – 7/10 –</strong> Got Arsenal off to the perfect start with a relatively simple finish in the opening stages. Saka wasn’t particularly dominant otherwise, and he grabbed his fourth booking of the league season.</p>
<p><strong>Eddie Nketiah (ST) – 7/10 –</strong> Worked his socks off and was back on the scoresheet with a typical poacher’s effort.</p>
<p><strong>Gabriel Martinelli (LW) – 7.5/10 –</strong> It was a battle of the live wires down the left as Martinelli was often left isolated against Tariq Lamptey. The Brighton defender won several battles but it was the Brazilian who won the war as he got in behind his marker to score Arsenal’s fourth.</p>
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<h2>Substitutes</h2>
<p><strong>Takehiro Tomiyasu – 5/10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kieran Tierney – 5/10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mohamed Elneny – 5/10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rob Holding – N/A</strong></p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
