Alexandre Lacazette fires Arsenal to second successive win at Brighton
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Updated 29/12/2020 at 20:18 GMT
Premier League, Amex Stadium – Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Arsenal 1 (Lacazette 66’)
Alexandre Lacazette celebrates
Image credit: Getty Images
Substitute Alexandre Lacazette's second-half goal was enough to ensure Arsenal won back-to-back league games for the first time since September after a 1-0 success at Brighton.
Arsenal were especially poor in the first half, not registering a single shot on target, but the returning skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have scored early in the second half from close range, with Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez making a brilliant save with his knee.
The visitors kept the pressure on and just 29 seconds after coming off the bench, Lacazette fired home his third goal in as many games to give the Gunners the lead in the 66th minute.
Brighton could not find a way past a determined Arsenal, who held on to start their climb back up the table after a nightmare opening few months to the season.
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (R) and Alexandre Lacazette (C) celebrate
Image credit: Getty Images
Graham Potter made six changes to the Brighton side, with no striker named from the start, and it showed as they offered little threat early on, despite playing some nice football.
Arsenal were even more slow and ponderous, finishing the half without having had a shot in the first half of a league match for the fourth time this season – only Newcastle have not found the target in the opening period on more occasions this campaign.
Whatever Mikel Arteta said at half time seemed to work wonders as Arsenal had five shots at goal in the opening nine minutes of the second half, and an Arteta change later in the match made all the difference. The credit for the winner, however, has to go to Bukayo Saka for a brilliant assist, well finished off by Lacazette.
Potter threw on some attacking players but, as has been the case for much of Brighton’s season so far, their lack of cutting edge in the final third cost them dear. They finish 2020 having won one home league game all season.
TALKING POINT – Arsenal’s youngsters to the rescue, again
In his desperate attempt to turn Arsenal’s season around, Mikel Arteta took a gamble against Chelsea on Boxing Day, and turned to his youngsters for inspiration. It paid off, handsomely at the Emirates, and it was the Gunners starlets who made the difference at Brighton.
Emile Smith Rowe was again excellent, and injected some much-needed energy into the Gunners in the second half, while Bukayo Saka won the game for Arsenal with a superb assist. The likes of Nicolas Pepe and Willian may not get a look-in for a while.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
The game, on the whole, was low on quality, but anything that Arsenal created in the second half came through the effervescent Saka. His drive to have the beating of Dan Burn for the winner was dogged, while his poise to lay the ball across for Lacazette was perfect.
PLAYER RATINGS
Brighton: Sanchez 7, Veltman 6, Webster 7, Dunk 7, Burn 6, Bernardo 6, Bissouma 8, Gross 6, Propper 6, Mac Allister 7, Jahanbakhsh 5. Subs: Maupay 6, Trossard 6, March 6.
Arsenal: Leno 7, Bellerin 6, Holding 6, Mari 7, Tierney 6, Elneny 5, Xhaka 6, Smith Rowe 8, Saka 8, Martinelli 6, Aubameyang 6. Subs: Lacazette 8, Maitland-Niles N/A, Ceballos 6.
KEY MOMENTS
36’ – OVER! Dreadful pass from Elneny, McAllister picks the ball up, has a pop from distance, but arrows a strike just over.
37’ - SAVE! Arsenal under the cosh here. Cross into the Arsenal box causes all kinds of problems, Bernardo pulls it back for Jahanbakhsh, who goes for the near post, but Leno gets down brilliantly to make a smart save.
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49’ - SAVE! By far and away Arsenal's best move of the game. Lightning break, Saka plays it across for Aubameyang, who should score from eight yards, but his first-time effort is saved by Sanchez's knee.
66’ - GOAL! Brighton 0-1 Arsenal (Lacazette). What an impact! Lacazette breaks the deadlock, less than a minute after coming on! It was just 29 seconds, in fact, that Lacazette was on the pitch before being picked out by Saka after great work from the youngster down the right, with Lacazette picking his spot with aplomb. Three goals in three games for him now.
KEY STATS
- Lacazette's goal time of 29 seconds was Arsenal's fastest Premier League sub goal since Opta have the full timings.
- Brighton have gone 12 Premier League games at Amex Stadium without a win (D5 L7), equalling their longest home winless league run, set in the old Division Three between October 1997 and February 1998.
- Lacazette scored Arsenal’s first Premier League goal from open play in six away league games since he scored at Liverpool on September 28.
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