Maupay’s stoppage-time winner stuns dire Arsenal
Brighton 2 Dunk (75), Maupay (90+5) Arsenal 1 Pepe (68)
For Arsenal, Project Restart hurtled chaotically – but familiarly – into another spectacular false dawn. They had celebrated for seven minutes, at least, after Nicolas Pepe emerged from near-total anonymity to give Mikel Arteta’s side a late lead. But, then, as though an invisible switch were flicked, the instincts for another implosion were ignited. Rob Holding could only watch ruefully as his hacked clearance ricocheted off an unwitting Lewis Dunk and rebounded back into his own net. And with the seconds whittling down and
shoulders already slumped, Neal Maupay slipped past Shkodran Mustafi and lobbed home a last-ditch winner in cruel slow-motion.
So the wait for the elusive ‘New Arsenal’ does, for now, still feel rather infinite. They had been the superior side throughout the game, waltzed forwards virtually at will, but failed to capitalise on their advantage and now leave forlorn and bloodless, facing a bi-weekly post-mortem, with a Europa League place slipping out of sight. For Brighton, though, in a relegation fight that is destined to go down to the wire, it was a gutsy and spiteful comeback that could prove vital to their survival.
Seeking to make amends after a defeat against Manchester City that had quickly drowned any sparks of optimism, Arsenal had at least set out with renewed intent. Aubameyang, who cut the most isolated and frustrated figure at the Etihad, immediately found space in behind Brighton’s back-five, miscuing a flamboyant scissor-kick and flashing a shot over the bar within minutes of kick-off. Perhaps, too, the endless chasing of light-blue shadows had served to shake the rust that was visible in Brighton’s sluggish start.
Bukayo Saka’s precocious talent was spread to another position, this time starting in central midfield in place of the injured Granit Xhaka, and it was he who provided the antidote to Arsenal’s often pedestrian attacks. It is as much an indictment as acclaim that in a squad rich with glamour and reputation – with Mesut Ozil left out once again – the 18-year-old’s bursts forwards provided the greatest spike of substance. His fierce, curling shot from the edge of the box rattled the crossbar and came closest to breaking the deadlock in a first-half marred by a serious injury to goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
The German, who was Arsenal’s sole shining light against City, was barged by Neal Maupay as he collected a through ball, fell awkwardly on his knee and was carried off on a stretcher, adding to Arsenal’s already lengthy list of injury troubles. Leno, all anger and adrenaline, furiously pointed at the French striker, who pleaded his innocence before medical staff stepped between the pair.
The delay momentarily sucked the impetus out of Arsenal’s play and Leno’s replacement, Emiliano Martinez – making just his seventh Premier League appearance in as many years at the club – reacted brilliantly to avoid being caught cold by Aaron Mooy’s fizzing low shot.
It was a game hung in half-paced suspense, waiting for the moment when Arsenal put a back-footed Brighton to the sword, or for the ghost of David Luiz to curse one of his teammates into another ungracious mistake. But as the chances came in sequence, Arsenal continued to stutter. Aubameyang had a goal narrowly ruled out for offside and was denied by Matty Ryan, who made another superb save to tip Alexandre Lacazette’s header past the post, while the waspish Yves Bissouma harried tirelessly in front of defence.
Ultimately, though, it was Pepe who finally brought a razor to the battle of toothless attacks. The £72m signing, who was publicly admonished by Arteta in the build-up, had spent the previous 67 minutes idling absently, fastened to the touchline, armed with irresistible flicks and feints but little end product. He collected the ball on the edge of the box on a rare foray inside, jinked into space and curled a brilliant, floated finish over Ryan’s fingertips and into the top corner.
The elation, though, was short-lived. Solly March flicked on a corner, the ball ricocheted around the box, Arsenal panicked and Holding smashed the ball against Dunk and was helpless as the ball rebounded into the net. The endless ventures forward, the beauty of Pepe’s finish, unwound by a simple set-piece.
From there, Maupay’s sucker punch brought a damning and, perhaps, undeserved end to Arsenal’s afternoon in the final seconds, exposing Mustafi and deftly lifting the ball over Martinez in a gut-wrenching blow that leaves Arteta searching for a remedy to another skeleton performance.