We are making good teams look AVERAGE NOW! | Arsenal 2-0 Brighton Tactical Analysis

For me, people, Arsenal have become a lot more competitive. I am proud of Mikel Arteta. We haven't accomplished anything. We ain't won a Premier League. We ain't won a Champions League. We have turned the club around, you know, where everybody's singing from the same hymn sheet. We're finally being taken more seriously. But there is one thing that has been dawning on me for a while now, and I really have bought it to a degree since Mikel Arteta walked in, probably highlighted in the last two seasons, including what we're currently facing now. I think teams are showing Arsenal a lot more respect. Probably you can see that with the way they're man-marking Saka and Martinelli. You know, but for me, I mean that in, you know, when you look at three games in particular, take nothing away from these clubs that I'm about to mention, big clubs, massive clubs, and two have actually beaten us. But if you take Aston Villa away from Arsenal, look at the Newcastle game as well, and also Brighton. We all know what Brighton are doing as a football club, which is fantastic. We all know De Zerby's name is ringing bells, and he's mentioned in a high regard, you know, at Brighton. And with the greatest of respect, they may lose that manager. In the future, Unai Emery is doing great for Aston Villa of this season. Three teams that nobody, regardless of where you are in the Premier League, even see, you don't want to play these sort of sides. You know, they play good football, attacking football, and there's many different things. We'll be here all day speaking about the three games, right? But I do think for what we build Newcastle away to be for Arsenal this year, and what I was expecting to what we saw, ultimately Newcastle won. I would love to swap positions with them, but they won. Aston Villa, of course, they won as well. But from what we actually saw in the game to what we had spoken of, and probably Brighton, which is a bulky team for Arsenal. I know Brighton are not probably the Brighton they were of last season and stuff, but it's still Brighton with a fantastic manager and fantastic players. But what I mean is that, you know, you probably expected it to be more of an even contest than a dogfight. And like I said, Newcastle, we lost, but I think we competed physically well. I think we stifled them. I think we were the more dominant team. Aston Villa, the fine margins went for them and they earned that right. You know, they defended well. They didn't have many chances, but they took their chances. Unfortunately, we couldn't convert. But also in the Aston Villa game, you know, we kind of stifled them. There wasn't too much for them to really sing and shout about. Brighton, it's almost unheard of, you know, how toothless they were, especially against Arsenal. And I have to give the players credit and also Mikel Arteta. You could also say that with Manchester City as well. As I said, I think for a while we have been, quote unquote, more competitive in some moments across 90 minutes. But I think in the last couple of games or the games we're playing this season that I've mentioned, it's a bit more evident. And I have really liked that. Of course, you know, if we're fighting for a league title, I don't want to waffle about playing well. You need to get the three points. And we've already dropped six points against Newcastle and obviously Aston Villa. But I have liked that. And throughout the course of this video, again, I'm going to try and articulate this point and we're going to focus on Brighton because we stifled them, you know, really and truly. And that's what you need to be, really. So I like the trajectory we're moving on as a club. But let's get into the video, man, and see what I'm talking about specifically. Let's go. The first time in 49 games under the Zerbe, they haven't managed a shot in the first half, people. You know, they should have scored with Pascal Gross, but a team like Brighton that is scary offered nothing. We had 62 touches in their box, people, which shows that our Teter is arresting the breaking down low blocks or defensive units. That's also up there with the Fulham game as well, people. Obviously, we won two goals to nil, kept a clean sheet. I'm extremely happy. Obviously, Brighton have scored in 32 consecutive Premier League games until they played us. You know, that was one of the fourth times that we've had 15 shots. And we keep our great record for what is concerned with headers and corners, people. So it's nice to see the physical profile that's been added is making the difference at the club. I think we're up there for such. It's always lovely when Gabriel Jesus scores. He just wish he would score some more. He's too good not of a player. 49 games, 54 wins. He hasn't lost when he scored. Kai Havert scores again. You lovely stuff. He scored as many goals in his last seven games for Arsenal in his previous 40 combined. Seems to be finding his feet and finding his shooting boots. We're 13 games unbeaten at home and long may it continue. And obviously, you know, he may not have scored or assisted, if I can remember per se, but Martin Odegaard, when he's on song, what a player, man. And it was his birthday. There's no way he couldn't show out. And if I have one criticism for some of his teammates, sometimes he plays some sexy passes and you would just love someone to get on the end of it and put in the back of the net so that it stays in Premier League history. His passing range, his vision, his footballing IQ. When Martin Odegaard's on song, we click so much better. And it's no coincidence that we were free flowing. I think in the last couple of games, literally against Aston Villa and 2-degree Brighton, even though we won, it's just about putting the ball in the back of the net because we really should have scored in the first half. The game should have really been put into bed in the first half. No disrespect to Brighton, but I do think 2-0 flatters you a bit because definitely, even though I think we can go up the levels in the final third and score goals on another day, you might have got what happened to Sheffield United, which again, we needed in the second half to really put them like lambs to the slaughter. Naturally, we're still a young team. We're still in the early stage of development. But to get to that next level, that's probably what we have to kind of do. When we smell blood, kill teams, put games to bed in the first half. As I said, I think Mikel Ortega has kind of arrested our inability to break down low blocks or create play. And I think in the last few games, that's been reflected. If anything, you know, not to harp on about Aston Villa, but it's literally for the players to put the ball in the back of the net. But Martin Odegaard played like a man with a positive chip on his shoulder. Wonder Guard, the class region, the best Norwegian in the Premier League. Ireland's all right, I know. But when Martin Odegaard is on it, we click. And my challenge to Odegaard is I shouldn't be moved by this. You know, in the same way, Saliba, Declan Rice, Pakaio, Saka. Obviously, they're great players as well. But when they play well, I'm not necessarily moved. I want to see that from Odegaard all the time because he's got that in his locker. I genuinely believe that he's such a player. You know, I felt sorry for Lewis Dunn because he put in a Spartan of a centre-back performance. Obviously, he bucked some dangerous Brazilians. And, you know, Gabriel Jesus got the party tricks out. I couldn't even, you know, Odegaard technically got a pre-assist, but I couldn't believe it. Eddie Nketiah got an assist. In fact, I'm not shocked by the assist. Eddie Nketiah passed the ball. It's crazy what I saw in that game. You know, Martinelli popped it through his legs as well. We've got two bloody good centre-halves in Williams, Saliba and Gabriel, don't we? Boys and girls, you know, that support this club. They're both two top centre-backs in their own right. One of the best pairings in the Premier League. In fact, F that. One of the best pairings in world football at the moment. Both, you know, obviously, Gabriel's a bit older, but of the same sort of age profile. So the good times keep lasting. You know, Kai Havertz, nobody cares about the price tag right now because he's been doing the job. Obviously, Mikel Arteta, he managed to pick up a yellow card. Waving to the referee. Was that yellow fare? No, I was waving to Martinelli. So, yeah, I don't think we can have it all, but I'm a happy lad. Clean sheet, three points, made Brighton not look like Brighton. We keep it moving. Simple business, people. Simple business. Let me know your thoughts. Like, comment, subscribe. Now, people, speaking for myself, beyond the obvious, you know, my ending thoughts in relation to Arsenal-Brighton is kind of what I alluded to in the beginning of this video. In that when we played Brighton, when we played Newcastle, when we played Villa, I'm taking nothing away from the teams. There's nothing to do with them. They're all quality players and they're quality teams in their own right. But the hype of these teams to when we played them, whether we've won, lost or drawn, hasn't matched up. So I think Mikel Arteta is making us a lot more competitive. We're being a lot more reflected. We're making the better teams look a lot average, which I'm completely here for. It's nice to see Kai Havertz scoring, you know, every bit of goals or assists he can get and generally good performances. Keep, you know, keep doing what you're doing. Nobody cares about your price tag. Martin Wondergaard was on song. You know, Mikel Arteta got a yellow card. But other than that, you know, everything he did was spot on. My challenge for Arsenal is when we have games like this, can we put 3-4 to bed in the first half? Because that game, you know, not that Brighton did anything, but it could have went left. You know, had Pascal Grosso scored when it was 1-0, it could have went left. So my challenge is, can we make this on a more regular basis? Can we put teams to bed like in the first half when we play like that? We came out of the blocks firing and hungry. And, you know, early on in the season, you probably would have sat there and said, you know what, Arsenal are half-decent defensively. We're good in the middle third. We're not really picking the locks of the teams in the defence, well, teams' defence in terms of our attackers. Recently, I think Mikel Arteta has kind of arrested that problem. Not so much in the Champions League, but that Champions League free-flowing football has kind of transgendered into the Premier League, which I'm happy for. Obviously, we're up there. I should have included it. I apologise, but we're up there for goals from corners and headed goals. Obviously, it shows that the set-piece coaches is working. It shows that the players are listening to what he's saying. And, you know, I won't quite say it was fine margins in relation to Brighton, but if we can play sexy football, vengable, Arteta ball, whatever you want to accustom it to, with the added asset of being a danger from set-piece, these fine margins ultimately can help us people. So I'm a happy lad, really. Clean sheet, three points, insurance policy going into Liverpool, which is a massive game. So, yeah, that's all I've got to say. Big up Martin Odegaard and everybody, really and truly. You know, Declan Rice and Saliba and Gabriel. You know, Gabriel, I think he's very underappreciated, doesn't get his flowers. Saliba and Rice, it feels like I'm saying in a positive light the same things every day with them. So it's a happy day at the office when we beat Brighton, but we need to continue this. We know who we've got Porto in the Champions League now. We know what we need to do against Liverpool at Anfield because they are going to raise their game significantly. Can't be happy with what they did against Man United. And in the same way, I think sometimes in football, if you play a team that isn't as good as you, sometimes you can drop to their level. I think Arsenal have done that on occasion this season. Sometimes I think when teams are performing, you have to raise your level. So we're going to get that Anfield roar and how Jurgen Klopp's men manoeuvre, but we'll deal with that when we need to deal with it. I appreciate you lot for listening. Let me know your thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with anything I've said? What points have I missed? What thoughts have you lot got on the game? You know, I'm very proud of my boys, but we need to keep going, really and truly, and just keep making sure everything ticks over. There's going to be many bumps and bruises across the season. Lord knows there already is. And I know you can't win or lose every, you know, you're going to win, lose and draw some games. You can't win them all. And hindsight's a wonderful thing, people. But for me, you can't go back in time. But what if we beat Chelsea? What if we held on against Spurs and Fulham? What if we found that creativity sooner with the Newcastle game? Because we didn't ask anything of Pope. What if we had our shooting boots for the Aston Villa game? Where would we be? Especially because Liverpool and City have dropped points this weekend as well. I guess that's where it stays, people. But yeah, let me know your thoughts on everything. Smash the like button, subscribe. As usual, big up to all of you lot tuned in. Stay blessed, stay safe. You already know the vibes. I'm out.