Arsene better than Fergie!
Gunners boss bags record 45th victim in top flight
Arsene Wenger celebrated 21 years as manager of Arsenal with a piece- of- cake victory and a new name for his ever-increasing list of Premier League victims.
Wenger has now beaten 45 different teams in the competition — one more than sir Alex Ferguson — and, in truth, Brighton did not offer too much resistance.
nacho Monreal and Alex Iwobi scored the goals and three points eased Arsenal further from the wreckage of a crushing defeat at Liverpool and accompanying prophecy of doom, which prefaced last month’s break for international football.
‘Our last international break was a nightmare,’ said Wenger. ‘This one is a bit better. I would love to continue to play.
‘I knew that after the game in Liverpool everybody would write us off and I knew it just depended on us, how much we responded. We responded in a united way and have put some wins together and some good performances as well.’
since a shaky start to the campaign and the Anfield debacle, Arsenal have three wins and a creditable draw at Chelsea from four league games. All without conceding a goal and mostly without Mesut Ozil, who was absent again with a slight knee injury.
Wenger’s team trail six points behind Manchester’s pace-setters but an air of respectability is back and restless natives have been quelled for the time being.
Less than a minute had passed when Alex Lacazette shook the frame of the Brighton goal from 25 yards. Alexis sanchez was unable to turn the rebound on target.
goalkeeper Mat ryan then denied sanchez and Iwobi before Monreal scored a rare goal when Brighton failed to clear a freekick, delivered from wide by granit Xhaka.
Lacazette stretched to ensure Xhaka’s inswinger did not drift out of play, with a header back into the goalmouth, where shkodran Mustafi’s attempt was cleared by shane Duffy. Hector Bellerin picked up the ball and went for goal but his effort was blocked and fell for Monreal, who turned it through a crowd and into the net on the half-volley with his right foot.
Brighton claimed the ball had gone out of play before Lacazette’s header but manager Chris Hughton, having seen a replay, admitted referee Kevin Friend and his team got it right.
For Monreal, it was a first goal in the Premier League for more than four-and-a-half years.
solly March hit a post with a sweet effort from a short free-kick but the more adventurous Brighton became the more vulnerable they were at the back. In truth, they rarely looked like taking anything from the game.
Aaron ramsey ought to have scored a second before half-time as Arsenal defend a corner and sprung into a dangerous counterattack. ryan stuck out his right foot to foil ramsey but was beaten by Iwobi soon after the interval. sanchez created the opening with a back-heel and Iwobi converted.
‘It shows the skill he has,’ said Iwobi. ‘He’s capable of doing anything. To have eyes in the back of his head and back-heel to me was amazing.’
The clever assist sparked a burst of activity from sanchez, who had buzzed and flickered without appearing to be at full throttle.
At his best, the Chilean can seize a game and shake it into a different shape. Here, he decorated the fringes with nice touches but never more. still searching for his first Premier League goal since a summer of discontent, sanchez was frustrated by a Lewis Dunk clearance and ryan save.
Perhaps his interest will be revived as Arsenal climb towards the business end of the table.