Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta mentioned he had by no means seen something like Brighton’s controversial penalty to earn a 1-1 draw on Saturday that dealt one other seismic blow to the Gunners’ Premier League title problem.
Runaway leaders Liverpool maintain a 5 level benefit over second-placed Arsenal and have two video games in hand to return, beginning with Sunday’s conflict in opposition to struggling Manchester United at Anfield.
Shorn of a lot of their most potent attacking weapons, Arteta’s males led at half-time because of 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri’s strike.
However two important factors slipped away when William Saliba was harshly punished for a conflict of heads with Joao Pedro and the Brazilian slotted house the ensuing spot-kick.
“We’re actually upset with the choice that results in the objective as a result of I’ve by no means seen one thing like this in my life,” mentioned Arteta. “He (Saliba) touches the ball as effectively.”
With talisman Bukayo Saka out for the following two months with a hamstring damage, Arsenal’s attacking choices have been additional depleted by sickness.
Kai Havertz didn’t even make the matchday squad for the second consecutive sport, whereas captain Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have been solely match sufficient for appearances as second-half substitutes.
Nwaneri was the beneficiary with a second consecutive begin and confirmed why he is among the Premier League’s rising stars with a medical end for the opening objective.
{The teenager} nonetheless had loads to do as he raced onto Mikel Merino’s ball excessive however his tempo took him past the Brighton defence earlier than firing low into the far nook on 16 minutes.
However even he then needed to changed by Martinelli at half-time after struggling a muscle damage.
“We gave the ball away and we didn’t do the straightforward issues effectively sufficient to be actually on high of the sport and have the dominance we required,” added Arteta.
“We did lots of issues to not the usual with the ball. So we did not get any momentum, we by no means acquired set in areas that after we might generate probabilities.”
Arsenal lacked any penetration with out their quartet of attacking stars to construct on their lead.
Merino had the one large alternative to double the Gunners’ benefit early within the second interval when he skewed large from Declan Rice’s free-kick.
Moments later the guests have been rocked by a controversial name that might have large ramifications for the title race.
There was the slightest contact from Saliba’s head onto Joao Pedro’s however the Brighton ahead went down clutching his face and acquired the reward of a spot-kick.
The Seagulls captain for the day, within the absence of Lewis Dunk, confidently stroked house the penalty to stage.
Arteta responded instantly by summoning Odegaard from the bench.
Nevertheless, it was Brighton who appeared the most probably winners within the closing levels.
Yakuba Minteh wasted a fantastic likelihood to finish their now eight-game winless run when his shot throughout objective evaded each Yasin Ayari and Kaoru Mitoma and slid large of the far publish.
“It ought to be greater than some extent,” mentioned Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
“We got here again however we weren’t clear sufficient within the last third. We had large probabilities.”
A degree is sufficient to edge Brighton again into tenth.
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