Post Match report for the Arsenal game - Sunday, 5th May 2019
PREMIER LEAGUE; Arsenal v Brighton
ALBION NOT COMPLETE CHUMPS WHEN TEAMED WITH LIKES OF GOONERS
VENUE; Emirates Stadium, London N5 - nineteenth away match of 37 fixtures.
RESULT; 1-1 ~ Murray . (h-t 1-0) . SHAPE; 4-5-1 . REF; earned his fee without undue stress on the Sabbath.
PREAMBLE; first of all this was a late Sunday non-event, in terms of a residual survival contest. Second of all, history would show BHA were the fourth worst side in the division. Chronologically we were catching up but realistically had been behind the curve for quite a while.
The current campaign through 2019 was visually disappointing, misled by fortuitous knockout dreams, devoid of necessary quality and precursor to a third elite term of struggle & strife.
CHRIS HUGHTON had pursued caution as eventual successful seasonal strategy, albeit overseeing performances predominately varying between 1 & 5, on a scale where 10 represented a pukka Prem winning team display. It was assumed he would resort to type today.
So the well worn match-day pack duly got reshuffled and dealt out as a safe hand.
TEAM; . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. . . . 2 Bruno, 4 Duffy, 5 Dunk, 30 Bernardo
. 16 Jahanbakhsh, 6 Stephens, 8 Bissouma, 20 March
. . . . . . . . 13 Gross, . . . . . 17 Murray
BENCH; 27 Button, 3 Bong, 14 Balogun, 7 Kayal (92), 9 Locadia, 11 Knockaert (45), 10 Andone (78).
GOALS; 1-0 - 9. Jahanbakhsh tackles from behind in the area. Ryan cannot do anything about the spot kick.
1-1 - 61. March launched a one man counter attack, ran a distance and drew the foul. MURRAY converted the penalty.
INCIDENTS; 2 - Gunners hit framework following good early build up. 35, 38 & 45 - Ryan is called upon to save thrice in quick succession.
YELLOWS; 45+ Gross scrabbles for the ball. 63 - Dunk is way too competitive.
SUBS; 45 - Jahanbakhsh is pulled for Knockaert. 78 - Murray comes off for Andone. 92 - Gross is replaced by Kayal.
These changes had impact to a certain extent but largely to have & hold in gaining a point.
ANALYSIS; writing was on the stadium wall from kickoff when Seagulls were once again not reaching required levels in all areas of the pitch. Chasing the game is habitual over recent weeks and quickly losing the clean sheet meant likely defeat, given visitors lack of scoring in 6 of the last 7 fixtures. Hosts sat on their lead and Albion got into the game with hope, rather than on targets, filling time until the interval. It was repetition of so many previous forty-five minutes.
On turnaround travellers soon levelled after a counter attack but were then forced into rearguard actions. Seagulls rode their luck, absorbing pressure but doing a reasonable defensive job while the clock ticked down. Hosts became frantic to finish their task, while the away outfit sporadically threatened prior to late rushes up field.
Overall it was a better showing on the road, without exactly causing a dramatic upset in a stadium of late afternoon atmospheric tension.
NUMBERS; shape 4312-451, poss 71%-29%, on target 8-5, off target 11-6, corners 16-3, fouls 9-14, yellows 5-2, subs 3-3.
FS
PENULTIMATE table; survivors guide
Po . Pl . -GD . Pt
15 . 37 . -21 . 40 Burnley
16 . 37 . -20 . 38 Southampton
17 . 37 . -22 . 36 Brighton
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Relegated
18 . 37 . -37 . 31 Cardiff
19 . 37 . -43 . 26 Fulham
20 . 37 . -54 . 15 Huddersfield
