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It was indeed a thrilling encounter between Arsenal and Brighton. The game was a tough one for the home side, but luckily, they grabbed a point as a result of poor finishing from the Arsenal forwards. Brighton hosted Arsenal at the American Express stadium, and it was a quality game of football.
Both teams failed to convert big chances; however, it was Brighton who turned out to be more dominating than the Gunners, surprisingly enough.
Arsenal looked keen to score since the starting minutes of the game, but the likes of Lacazette and Aubameyang were not clinical enough. They missed vital chances, and as a result, they could not capitalise on such a great chance to climb up the table, as Manchester City dropped points as well.
On the other hand, Ozil's inconsistency is getting much significant with time. Once again, he had a disappointing game. Unai Emery has given him the preferred role of a number 10, but his inconsistency has cost the team once again.
Brighton held Arsenal to a draw, and the home side was exposed at their defence for the first goal. Arsenal was lucky enough that they had Bernd Leno between the sticks, though even he misjudged the first goal for Brighton
Here are four factors where Arsenal still needs to work on, in order to compete for the Premier League title.
#4 Creativity
Arsenal has been heavily dependent on Ozil to create through the centre of the pitch. The German playmaker is said to be the best when it comes to vision, but he has been extremely inconsistent for a few seasons now.
With the January transfer market coming, Arsenal must plan to add reinforcements. A playmaker and a quality left winger should be the priority for the London side.
The sole reason behind bringing a playmaker is to make Ozil feel the competition from the bench.
Except for Ozil, there is not a number 10 in the squad who can take up the job of Mesut Ozil, and this might be one of the few reasons why Ozil performs on a world-class level once in few games.
#3 Efficiency in the final third
The Aubameyang-Lacazette duo has spread love all across England, as their bromance on and off the pitch is a treat to watch. But, their efficiency and consistency is still a bit of a doubt.
The pair has bagged 21 goals and 10 assists this Premier League season, with Aubameyang leading the Premier League Golden Boot chart. He won the PL Player of the Month for October as well.
Unai Emery has made him play as a left or right winger, a position he is not familiar with. That's mainly because the 29-year-old plays much better alongside Lacazette. Aubameyang is their key player to glory, and if he continues to score just occasionally, I'm afraid that Arsenal will have to play Europa League for the third time in a row.
Pierre is yet to unleash his true abilities. It's almost a year he has been at Arsenal, and the fans are immensely happy with his contributions. But I have seen him play at Dortmund and I can expect a lot more from him.
#2 Defending counter-attacks and set-pieces
Arsenal is probably the weakest side from the "top 6" when it comes to defending, especially during set-pieces and counter-attacks. Unai Emery has worked on the defensive aspects of the team, but they are still miles behind the quality City and Liverpool possess when it comes to defending.
Even a 3-man defence can't hold off counter-attacks, and Unai Emery has to give answers. Sokratis has been giving world-class performances for the club, but the lack of a natural CB alongside him is causing the problems, as Koscielny is still not at his best.
Arsenal is highly vulnerable at the back, and the amount of saves Leno pulls off in a match is enough to support my claim. The quote "Attack wins you games, but defence wins you titles" could not get more relatable.
Arsenal is grabbing points because of the sole reason that they outperform their opposition in the attacking departments. But if they continue to concede, I doubt if they'd be in the top 4 by the end of the season.
#1 Utilising a high line of defence
Arsenal under Unai Emery has significantly improved in the defending aspects of the game. Unai's tactic of defending with a high line of defence encourages the defenders to contribute in attacks by playing killer passes, and it also helps to hold possession of the ball.
However, this has its own drawbacks as well. Arsenal defenders do not really possess the pace needed to track back quick forwards, and long balls over the defence often trouble the Arsenal back four.
For instance, against Wolves last month, it was Traore who came on by the ending minutes of the game, and he almost scored a goal running past Holding with ease - thanks to Leno's awesome leg movement to close him down.
This occurred against Liverpool as well, and this is something Unai really needs to re-check. It's true that Arsenal is much more organised and resolute defensively, but playing with a high line of defence results in clear-cut chances for their opposition.
