"A few minutes before half-time in a contest that swung entirely one way and then briefly the other, Brighton threatened what was then a rare foray into Arsenal territory. For the briefest of moments, the visitors seemed certain to muster their first shot of an afternoon that had hitherto been miserable. No sooner had Maxim De Cuyper received the ball on the counterattack and glanced up, than the Belgian was flattened by a crunching Declan Rice tackle that hastily restored possession for the hosts."
"De Cuyper slumped, while Rice towered over him and roared; arguably this season's standout Premier League midfielder making light of playing right-back for the first time in his Arsenal career. If Arsenal are to win the Premier League this season finally claiming the title after leading at Christmas for the third time in four seasons a ceaseless succession of injuries would render it a feat of staggering performances. Rice the right-back; Mikel Merino the striker; Christian Nrgaard the centre-back all have been evident this season."
"Such is the way Arsenal's season has gone. For much of the game, it was, nonetheless, a triumph of considerable ease. With Martin degaard pulling the strings in the middle of the pitch, and Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka terrorising their hapless Brighton handlers, the winning margin should have been considerably greater. The shot tally told a story: by half-time Arsenal had managed 15 to Brighton's zero."
Arsenal controlled the match against Brighton, producing a dominant first half that yielded 15 shots to Brighton's zero by half-time. Declan Rice, deployed at right-back due to injuries, made a crunching tackle on Maxim De Cuyper and showed physical presence. Multiple absences, including Jurrien Timber and a last-minute problem ruling out Riccardo Calafiori, forced defensive reshuffles and reliance on squad depth. Martin degaard orchestrated play centrally while Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka caused problems for Brighton defenders. The winning margin could have been greater, and the result underlined Arsenal's resilience amid a season defined by frequent injuries.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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