31st August, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Arsenal’s perfect start to the season was brought to a halt as Brighton fought back to secure a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners, reduced to 10 men early in the second half, were unable to hold onto their lead, leaving the home crowd frustrated.
Arsenal took the lead in the 38th minute when Kai Havertz latched onto a pass and delivered a stunning lob from the edge of the box, beating the goalkeeper and finding the back of the net to make it 1-0.
Just before halftime, Leandro Trossard nearly doubled Arsenal’s advantage with a sharp strike from the edge of the area. However, Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a crucial save, denying Trossard’s effort from finding the bottom left corner.
Arsenal’s situation worsened in the 49th minute when Declan Rice received his second yellow card and was sent off, leaving the Gunners to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Brighton capitalized on their numerical advantage, equalizing in the 58th minute. Joao Pedro pounced on a rebound inside the box and fired a low shot into the middle of the net, leveling the score at 1-1.
Despite being a man down, Arsenal had chances to reclaim the lead. In the 75th minute, Kai Havertz found space inside the box and unleashed a shot towards the bottom right corner, but Verbruggen once again came to Brighton’s rescue with a brilliant save.
Two minutes later, Bukayo Saka missed a golden opportunity to put Arsenal ahead. He collected a precise pass inside the box and aimed a low shot at the center of the goal, but Verbruggen was equal to the task, keeping the scoreline level.
The draw means Arsenal drop their first points of the season, while Brighton leave the Emirates with a hard-earned point.
