Match Report: Arsenal 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

Report on Arsenal and Brighton's 1-1 draw.

Arsenal and Brighton played to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, a draw that should have been an Arsenal win. The Gunners were in complete control of the match and winning 1-0 when Chris Kavanagh, who had been poor the entire game, decided to make himself the star and gave Declan Rice an absurd second yellow card. Rice, by the way, will miss the trip to Tottenham after the international break.

Prior to kick-off, the feeling around the club was a positive atmosphere, following the deadline-day deal to bring Raheem Sterling to the club on loan from Chelsea on favourable terms. That continued when Havertz lobbed Verbruggen for a delightful strike after a touch by Saka to set him up.

But it all started to go downhill for the Gunners from there.

Boss Mikel Arteta had his head in his hands when, having already been booked for a late foul on Veltman, midfielder Rice nudged the ball away from the Dutchman and knew a second yellow card was coming. On his 245th Premier League appearance, this was Rice's first ever red card.

Arsenal lost any control they had in the match when they went down to 10 men, and conceded an equaliser shortly after. On the goal, the centerbacks got pulled too far apart but did well enough to alter the initial shot. David Raya made a good save, but the rebound went right to Joao Pedro, who had an empty net. Pedro was completely unmarked at the top of the box because Thomas Partey was jogging back, watched Pedro run by him, and didn’t even try to catch up.

Arsenal showed good fight and determination to stay in the game after the equaliser. Saka and Havertz also had decent opportunities on the counter, but couldn’t quite finish. Losing Rice for one match will be a blow to Arteta who will be without new signing Mikel Merino for a number of weeks with a suspected fractured shoulder that he picked up in his first training session with the club.