EPL 2017/18: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion, Player Ratings

Brighton & Hove Albion

Mathew Ryan has a good game in the Brighton goal

Mathew Ryan – 7/10 – Ryan did very well to concede just two, as he was bombarded by efforts from Sanchez, Lacazette, Iwobi and Ramsey. He put in a strong performance and in particular made a great stop with his feet to deny Ramsey in the first half.

Bruno – 6/10 – On his 37th birthday, Bruno put in a solid defensive shift for the Seagulls.

Lewis Dunk – 7/10 – In what his 200th appearance for Brighton, Dunk put in a well-organised performance for Brighton, and apart from March was probably their best player. He made a phenomenal clearance to keep the score-line at 2-0 as Sanchez’s effort had beaten Ryan.

Shane Duffy – 5/10 – Duffy made a poor challenge on Sanchez in the first half to earn himself a yellow card and it summed up his performance, sloppy and lazy. His passing doesn’t seem good enough for the Premier League and despite some good defensive work, he could cost Brighton this season.

Gaetan Bong – 5/10 – Bong had some joy going forward on a couple of occasions, but he allowed Bellerin to get in behind him way too many times.

Jose Izquierdo – 5/10 – Iziquierdo certainly looks technically gifted, but he found it hard to get the ball in any dangerous areas.

Dale Stephens – 5/10 – Stephens found it hard to see much of the ball and will certainly have easier games this season.

Davy Propper – 6/10 – Propper looks like he is beginning to blossom in his central midfield role. He looked good when Brighton decided to take the game to Arsenal.

Solly March – 7/10 – March was certainly Brighton’s best performer, and was very unlucky not to get the Seagulls an equaliser when their well-worked free-kick hit the post. He did well to contribute defensively and was by far their most dangerous player on the attack.

Izzy Brown – 4/10 – Brown was not helped by his team’s deep defensive block, but he struggled to have any involvement in Brighton’s attacking play all game, and was eventually hauled off for Murray.

Pascal Gross – 4/10 – Last season Gross created the most chances in the Bundesliga, but he looked deterred to play any high risk passes today, and really failed to take the game to Arsenal at all when he got the ball.

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Substitutions

Ezequiel Schelotto – N/A – Schelotto came on late when Arsenal were very dominant and had much of the ball, so he was always going to find it hard.

Glenn Murray – N/A – Murray looked to be more of a threat than Brown was for 76 minutes and nearly got Brighton a goal as his header hit the side netting. However, in just 14 minutes that was about all he could do.

Anthony Knockaert – N/A – Knockaert, as usual, looked to be direct and positive, but he had such a short amount of time to make an impact.