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With fans returning to stadiums across England, one of the most important games of the weekend kicked off as Arsenal hosted Graham Potter's Brighton at the Emirates. The home side came into this game having won four of their last four Premier League games, while Brighton came back from two goals down to beat Champions Manchester City last week.
Despite a stalemate in the first half, Arsenal looked to be the better side but failed to create any significant chances. The Gunners were kept silent by Brighton's rather stubborn defense in the first 45 minutes. However, Nicolas Pepe had different plans for the game.
The Ivorian international scored a brilliant goal just four minutes into the second half as Calum Chambers played a low cross into the penalty box for Pepe to latch onto. It was 1-0 for Arsenal with a powerful finish as Pepe scored his 9th goal of the season.
When Brighton came out of their shell to somehow try and alter the scoreline, the Ivorian winger punished the visitors with another goal - his 10th of the season. Martin Odegaard and Nicolas Pepe combined to counter-attack Brighton's defense and with a sweet finish into the bottom corner, Pepe made it 2-0 for the hosts.
The game was finished before the one hour mark but Arsenal kept pushing for a 3rd goal. Their hopes of making it into the UEFA Conference League lay on the result from the game between Leicester vs Tottenham. And Leicester's defeat meant that Spurs overtook Arsenal in the table, making it into 7th position. The Gunners tried their best buy securing the win against Brighton, but their failures in earlier weeks came back to haunt Mikel Arteta's men. A season without European football may help Arsenal rebuild and focus on achieving a better finish in the league table.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for Arsenal.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Bernd Leno: 6/10
Throughout the 90 minutes, Brighton only had 1 shot on target. Bernd Leno had very little to do. The German international was not tested at all in the game.
Calum Chambers: 8/10
Hector Bellerin was omitted from the starting XI and is rumored to want a move away from the club. Calum Chambers has been grasping every chance his manager throws at him and the Englishman dropped yet another superb performance on the night, contributing with an assist.
Rob Holding: 8/10
The partnership between Rob Holding and Gabriel seems to be the way forward for Arsenal as the Gunners end their season with a clean sheet to their name. Holding was again crucial as he was always alert to any threat posed by Brighton.
Gabriel Magalhaes: 8/10
The Brazilian has proven to be an important signing for the north London outfit, as they usually look more compact with him in the backline. Arteta has dropped Gabriel in the past few months but he has since regained the manager's trust and put together a string of encouraging performances.
Kieran Tierney: 6/10
An impressive performance for Kieran Tierney as he ends the season on a high note. The Scotsman struggled to stay fit as he was unable to feature in key games for Arsenal this season, but the 23-year-old will hope to be a part of the pre-season team going into the new season.
Granit Xhaka: 7/10
Granit Xhaka's return to the XI helped Arsenal as they looked more composed and confident in midfield. The Swiss captain has also been rumored to want a move away from the Gunners in the summer.
Thomas Partey: 8/10
The Ghanaian was once again one of Arsenal's best players on the night. Partey continues to impress the fans and prove why Arsenal shelled out north of €40 million for the 28-year-old. He came close to scoring his first goal in front of the Arsenal fans as his strike from the edge of the box rifled against the crossbar before being cleared away.
Martin Odegaard: 8/10
Martin Odegaard's future at Arsenal is uncertain with parent club Real Madrid keen on his return this summer. The young Danish midfielder ended his season on a high, assisting Nicolas Pepe's second goal and producing a quality performance in what might have been his last game for the Gunners.
Emile Smith Rowe: 7/10
Along with Bukayo Saka, the Hale End graduate has massively helped spearhead Arsenal's positive form since the Christmas period. The Gunners lacked creativity, but since Smith Rowe's introduction into the team, Arsenal have been winning and scoring regularly. It was another decent outing for the 20-year-old against Brighton.
Nicolas Pepe - 10/10
With five goals in his last thr games for Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe, albeit a bit late, seems to have found his goalscoring touch. Mikel Arteta hasn't been a massive fan of the 25-year-old but he is finally giving the winger the chances he deserves.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7/10
It was a quiet night for Arsenal's talisman as he struggled to get into goalscoring positions. It hasn't been the best of seasons for Auba as he ends all competition with just 15 goals; majorly down to Arteta's tactics and lack of chances created for the Gabonese striker. It was no different last night, as Auba barely received a good chance to score.
Substitutes
Bukayo Saka - 6/10
The 19-year-old was finally rested as Bukayo Saka has arguably been the player of the season for Arsenal. The winger came on in the 76th minute for Emile Smith Rowe and kept Brighton's defenders on their toes.
Alex Lacazette - N/A
Did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
Gabriel Martinelli - N/A
Did not play enough minutes to warrant a rating.
