... or not, as the case may be. FYI, the Amex Stadium is several miles inland. But that's not really the point.
Anyway, I intend to try to paint a somewhat rosier picture than one might expect based on Saturday's humbling experience. Do let me know what you think after you've read this. But let's get on with it.
Two changes to the side from the previous league game, with Timber in for the injured White, and Bruno - following his goal at Sunderland - preferred to the somewhat unfortunate MLS. Whether that change had a significant bearing on what transpired at the Amex I'm not entirely sure, because there was something irresistible about how Brighton went about their business, but there will certainly be those who will be suggesting that Arteta didn't need to rock the applecart, so to speak. The same people who had been clamouring for rotation? Perhaps?
Whether Arsenal had gone into the last of a sequence of difficult matches from which they had come through totally unscathed believing their own hype, and in their own apparent invincibility, I do not know, but there was perhaps a hint of arrogance about them. And in sport, as we all know, failure to prepare properly is preparation for failure. And they were certainly caught by surprise!
Any way you dress it up, this was a painful watch for Arsenal fans from the moment the game started. Brighton seemed determined to put Arsenal under as much pressure as possible, as high up the pitch as possible, and it certainly worked. The away side looked flustered and out of kilter as Brighton pressured them from front to back - playing Arsenal at their own game to a great extent. In fact, I'd say that they took it further than that as they made it well-nigh impossible for Arsenal to play their normal possession-based game.
Anything that Arsenal tried to do to break the press appeared doomed to failure, as nobody had time on the ball and passing lanes were blocked time and again. It made no difference if Rice or Odegaard - or sometimes both - dropped back into the defensive lines to try to create an overload. They often had nowhere to turn and could only go backwards; whereupon Brighton jumped and pressured again. Even David Raya's normally assured work with the ball at his feet was all over the place.
No matter how you look at it, the fact is that Arsenal lost possession no less than 51 times in their own half of the field. Do you want to hazard a guess as to the last time that happened? I'll tell you; April 2023 at The Etihad, when Kevin De Bruyne and Co tore Arsenal to shreds in a 4-1 win that put an end to the Gunners title hopes for that season. The time before; Liverpool away in November 2021 - 4-0 to the home side, against an Arsenal side that featured such luminaries as Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.
Two things I'd say here. Firstly, this was probably the first time this season that Arsenal missed the calm assurance with the ball at his feet of William Saliba. And secondly - and let's not dress this up because it's true - Brighton were taking a hell of a risk!
But a calculated one. With Arsenal forced to go long so frequently - or risk losing the ball deep in their own half - the home side were prepared to take the chance that their central defenders were going to be able to cope with Kai Havertz. Whether Brighton will be prepared to be quite so gung ho when up against the likes of Haaland (especially) and Isak remains to be seen. Although something I must mention at this point is that if there is anything that shows Brighton's transfer policy in a shining light compared to say - let's pluck a name out of the air here - Tottenham Hotspur it's the 'swap' deal (it wasn't quite that) of Vuskovic for Van Hecke. Because for all the money that Spurs have managed to flush away over the summer, the sale of Vuskovic is looking like the transfer mistake of the decade!
And so the pattern of the game was set from early on, with Brighton pressing as ferociously as I've seen any side do; whilst at the same time taking the calculated risk that the isolated Arsenal front line was going to find it difficult to cause them much harm. Frankly, I can't see any group of players being able to maintain such high levels of fitness and willingness to sprint - time and again - throughout a 50+ game season. But they got their just desserts on Saturday.
On a different note - and this may well be why some people are prepared to swear by Xg and some dismiss it as derivative nonsense - it is worth noting that Brighton scored three goals from an Xg of 1.3, and Arsenal 0 from an Xg of 1.6. Two long range shots and a set piece. Does that tally with what the game felt like while you were watching it? Arsenal had more of the ball than the home side, but couldn't do enough with it; whereas Brighton took their chances. And how! But the quality of the chances that Arsenal created was - if anything - better than that generated by the home side. One chance spurned by Havertz - played through neatly by Viktor Goykeres I should mention - was frankly inexcusable as he shot straight at Verbruggen. The German had another of those 'curate's egg' games - he can be so good so often, but so disappointing on other occasions.
And there are lessons to be learned from the two excellent long-range goals; fired into opposite corners of the Arsenal net by Gross and Kostoulas. And the lessons are simple - don't stand off the opponent and invite him to shoot! On both occasions, neither centre back moved quickly enough to engage the man with the ball - perhaps a function of being caught on the back foot so often during the game. But if you don't give them the space, they can't shoot.
Look; at the end of the day Arsenal were soundly beaten. We have to hold our hands up to that. But one massive caveat for those who are going to regard this as a template to control the mighty Arsenal is this; not many teams are built, set up and capable of doing what Brighton were able to do. And - rest assured - Mikel Arteta will be putting plans into place to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
Sure, it was a really bad day at the office. But better off that it happened in September; and directly before an extended Interlull. This will be dealt with, and Arsenal will come back strongly. I know that. You know that. And the rest of English football know that. So let's not get too hung up on it. Mikel - armed with his new contract - knows...
A few other matters to take out of the weekend, before I go:
1. Manchester City are 5 from 5, but contrived to concede three goals at home to Sunderland. They are certainly not unbeatable
2. Chelsea... oh wow! If you think that Mikel Arteta has a lot to do over these next three weeks, spare a thought of Xabi Alonso. Or don't, actually...
3. Tottenham Hotspur FC - I assume that you all know what the bottom of the PL table looks like at the moment? Enjoy, guys; it almost certainly won't last, but either way they're giving us a hell of a ride! £350m+ spent to be in 20th spot - they continue to entertain us in ways we'd never imagine were possible
Relax now. Enjoy the break in the same way that Declan Rice is going to, and I'll see you on the other side.
COYG!
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