I’m always frustrated how we’re far too easy to play direct 60 yard passes against, but yet can never seemingly hold the ball up if we do the same. Our defence should be dominating their forwards with those sorts of passes but they and other teams always manage to get their body in the right position to hold it up and we’re so passive or too aggressive and foul. The other way round we’re so easily brushed off the ball

And picking up the pace. Nice work by Smith Rowe and another shot!

Giving them something to think about at last.

Oooohhh Martinelli so close.

I don’t understand the point in having Saka and Emile Smith Rowe out to take corners when it is never taken short. We’re effectively taking two of our players out of the game with the only benefit I can see being the opposition don’t know if it’s going to be an in or out swinger!

Wonderful substitution!!!!

Lovely spin and run and pass by Saka.

Lacazette! First touch

All about Saka, what a turn what a run what an assist

Yes Lacazette!

Saka Lacazette goal for our top scorer

I keep waiting for the old Aubameyang spark of magic to reappear. Not quite happening for him. Occasional chances pop up, the hopes rise, but fade away.

Yes, he's having a bit of a stinker to be honest.

Shame that the keeper kept that one out from 6 yards.

Atkinson shocking. That’s a clear yellow for Bissousma. Need to know the game. Frustrated player flying in to Lacazette who is holding the ball in the corner.

Foul on Lacazette. No yellow?

5 minutes added time was obvious. It’s always at least 1 more minute that it should be when there’s only 1 goal in it

Bizarre decision. Would have thought that it was easy to spot and punish accordingly.

Huge 3 points!

Result! Not pretty but better than the alternative.

It is my constant frustration with refs in this league. Anyone who has played football knows exactly what is going through Bissouma’s head. It is a clear yellow

Definitely. Two wins on the trot when it looked like we couldn't buy a win.
Pretty average performance though.

That was a 6 pointer. We were all relived getting the win v Chelsea but really this was the more important game to win.

We’re 13th!

Nail biting end to the game

Lacazette made a huge positive impact for us

Aubameyang can't do anything right nowadays

Saka created the goal

I watched Bissouma quite closely today, he was easy to spot with his bright red boots. I’d take him in our midfield in an instant. He just strikes me as someone who is ready to go up a level when he plays with better players. His game is simple, patrols in front of the back 4, rarely loses possession, always takes it off the CB, can play short or long, covers the ground rarely loses a 1v1 duel, very very strong and good in the air.

There was a couple of moments when his quality stood out, just a small moment when we cleared a ball and it was going to go over the head of outplayed trying to flick it on so Bissouma could have won an easy header, instead he took down a very difficult ball on his chest to ensure they retained possession rather than just heading it to our CB.

I’m sold on him. Bissouma and Partey is a very robust central midfield.

Was thinking the same

If our average game is a win, count me in!

I thought Holding, Mari and Xhaka were excellent under the late onslaught from Brighton. There weren’t any real chances for them late on but there were a lot of balls in the box and those 3 won everything and picked up some useful free kicks as well. Leno as well looked very assured on crosses. So important when you’re under pressure.

Send your report to Arteta or Edu

Saka did what we needed to do against that back 3. Dunk, Webster, Burn are huge but slow. You won’t beat them in on crosses, you won’t out muscle them but you can put pace them and dribble at them. Burn looked like he was inning in treacle chasing Saka back for the goal. The rest of the Brighton defence were terrified and backed off right in to their 6 yard box which gave Lacazette the space to hold his run and pick his spot

A huge 3 points ... build on it !!!!

Time to get back to bed ..... ZZZZ

Much less playing out from the back through Leno today. A change of style to reduce our weaknesses perhaps?

Someone in the Arsenal coaching staff must have seen this pattern, and asked Lacazette to hang back

I agree, I thought Bissouma was head and shoulders above our fairly passive centre midfield two.

Buy him and Lamptey and weaken our relegation rivals at the same time.

But he kicked the ball straight out of the field thrice. Reminded me of my golfing hooked shots.

I find it frustrating watching Martinelli because he plays that selfless inside forward role which makes space for Tierney but it limits the amount of touches he gets and he's got too much quality not to be involved in the game more.

I'm just glad to have him back. Hope Arteta uses him wisely and avoids any more injury problems. He already looks better than Pépé.

Burnley with another injury, Dyche complaining that they are stretched but he’s one of those voting against 5 subs. Of course he thinks it benefits bigger teams with deeper squads but it does anyway when everyone gets lots of injuries and fatigue.
I would say it’s more important for a team like Burnley to keep as many of their first 11 for than teams at the top because the drop off in quality to the reserves is so much greater.
5 subs needs to come in

A good Australian wine in the high humidity is the go here. I repeat, I would play Aubameyang but if he fails to lift we simply can’t guarantee any player a start. That’s how we got into the slide down the table and there is a long way to go in this season. Form players are required. I don’t need to see him score, I need him to be energised and make runs like Martenelli does.

Man U with a very lucky last minute win v wolves. They were awful, so were wolves and rashford speculatively hits one that takes a huge deflection and goes in in the 93rd minute. I can’t recall much bad luck Man U have had this year but my word theyve had some good luck. Their game v Brighton was one example, the penalties the clear penalty not given for Maguire’s foul v Chelsea, both West Ham and Southampton should have had them buried at half time in their games.
Got to be one of the worst 2nd place teams at this point of the season. Shows the lack of quality in the league of this Man U team are the best challengers to Liverpool the league can muster

I’ve seen some names we’ve been linked with, Diego Costa, eriksen, Isco- just no to all of them.
Go with players who are desperate and privileged to play for arsenal - none of those 3 are.

I also read someone saying we need to somehow get rid of the players who aren’t going forward with the club even if it means on loan with us paying all the wages. Why even have those players in training? Get training to be the players who we value and want to create the net airy and togetherness. I’m specifically talking about Özil and Sokratis

Agree on your points. As I used to tell young up and comers who arrived to work under me. Make yourself indispensable, give 100% effort, try to be helpful and even if at the end of your contract we don’t have the funds to keep you on you will have some experience, a good reference and other employers will have noticed you and want you. Simple really. There is no such message to a player thinking of retirement and just wants the easy options.

As for your point about Özil and others I think it is a good idea to invite them to train separately, but I would ask if they want to help train the 18’s and work on mentoring some of them. They can only say no which is okay. There is risk with this but if say Sokratis wants to be a coach in the future he will jump at it.

Sokratis is a hardworking player on the pitch. I am surprised he has fallen out with Arteta. Or has he?