Arsenal piled on further pressure on their London rivals following a 2-0 win over Brighton. The win sees them level on points with the reigning champions and just 3 points away from Spurs. Goals from Nacho Monreal and Alex Iwobi ensured three points for the home team, who now head into the international break with a positive outlook.
This game was rarely going to be a tough one for Arsenal with an upset being ruled out before the match had even started. For all of their efforts this season, Brighton seem to be heading into every away fixture with the aim of damage limitation. With the competition being fiercer as seasons pass by, the top teams know the importance of a win against the minnows.
The game had plenty of talking points, so let’s look at a few instances that were notable in the game.
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Arsenal in resurgence?
After a volatile start to the season, Arsenal seem to have steadied ship. They have been unbeaten since the beginning of September and have managed to keep clean sheets in all of those games. While the performance has not been flashy, it’s the end result that counts. The psychological impact it has on the attitude of the players is huge and Arsenal could go on some sort of a run from here.
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Wenger prefers balance over substance
It was yet another game that didn’t see the trio of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette start together. It’s been three months, but we’re yet to see them play together up front. It’s been a feature of Arsene Wenger’s teams over the season. His team selection before a game often baffles critics and fans alike, simply because he does not field the strongest squad possible, instead he goes for a balance, the formula of which is known by none but the Frenchman. It has worked sometimes and is an interesting approach to the game.
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Nacho Monreal – A mainstay in this squad
A player who has been often criticized for his lack of flexibility is Nacho Monreal. Signed by Wenger as a left back, he’s seen his best of days while playing as a left center back in that Arsenal back three. His work ethic and commitment to the cause is definitely a huge boost for Wenger. A man of the match performance against West Brom and a goal against Brighton, it’s safe to say Nacho will be the first name on the team sheet for quite some time.
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Arsenal must win such games to keep the pressure on the leaders
Looking at the early season form of the Manchester clubs, it seems to be a coin toss between the two clubs for when it comes to who could win the league this time around. Arsenal, and the rest of the chasing pack know that games such as this should be 3 points guaranteed. After a convincing 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion and another 2-0 win against Brighton, Arsenal look to be in the right mentality heading into such games. One slip up in such encounters and that could leave teams with a lot of catching up to do.
