Arsenal 2 Brighton 1: Did Hurzeler pick wrong team? Why the slow starts? And what about Minteh?
Andy Naylor analyses the defeat by Arsenal to understand how Brighton can get back to winning
Fabian Hurzeler must be wishing for a return to the winter break he regularly experienced in Germany, when he was in charge of St Pauli.
Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away against Arsenal means Brighton & Hove Albion have not won in 11 matches in December under the head coach across two Premier League seasons.
The league leaders’ narrow winning margin flattered Brighton. Hurzeler’s side were not at the races for an hour, as they trailed to Martin Odegaard’s 14th-minute strike, then an own goal from Georginio Rutter after 52 minutes.
Diego Gomez pulled a goal back 12 minutes later to turn the game into a contest, but Brighton, down to 13th without a win in five matches, are heading in the wrong direction for their European qualification aspirations.
The Athletic analyses the main talking points from the clash at the Emirates Stadium before a last chance to correct that December flaw in the final fixture of the year at West Ham United on Tuesday.
Did Hurzeler pick the wrong team?
Two substitutions at half-time suggested the head coach was keen to correct his starting XI, although the problem with the first-half performance was more about mindset than tactics.
Hurzeler made three changes and changed the system to a back three following the pre-Christmas 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland. Skipper Lewis Dunk returned from a one-match ban. Dunk’s normal centre-back partner, Jan Paul van Hecke, was restored after illness. Gomez, also ruled out against Sunderland through suspension, started on the left flank.
Brighton played in the first half like a team waiting and expecting to be beaten. Bukayo Saka was too hot to handle for left-back Maxim De Cuyper and left-sided centre-back Dunk. The pre-occupation with Saka led to Odegaard having too much time and space on the edge of the area to fire Arsenal ahead.
Bukayo Saka drew much of Brighton’s attention (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Hurzeler introduced Mats Wieffer at right-back for the second half in place of De Cuyper, switching Ferdi Kadioglu to his primary role as a left-back to deal with Saka. Hurzeler also brought on Yankuba Minteh on the right wing in place of the ineffective Brajan Gruda.
They could have sunk without trace when Rutter, under no pressure at the near post from a Declan Rice corner, back-headed into his own net, but Hurzeler’s rejigged team played with far greater intent and energy after the changes.
Slow starts
It is hard enough picking up points away from home in the Premier League without continuously giving yourselves a mountain to climb. For the seventh time in nine away games, Brighton fell behind at the Emirates within the opening 24 minutes.
It is no coincidence that avoiding an early deficit has led to two of the best away results — a 0-0 draw at rivals Crystal Palace and a 2-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
