Post Match report for the Arsenal game - Saturday, 27th December 2025
PREMIER LEAGUE 25/26: Arsenal V Brighton - 27/12/25 P18
* * * * * NIGHTMARE AFTER XMAS * * * * *
RESULT: 2-1 ~ Gomez . . . (h-t 1-0)
VENUE: the Emirates, N London - ninth away match of 18 fixtures to date . Sat 3:00pm.
BEFORE KICKOFF: Brighton fans were in northern metropolitan suburbs after Boxing Day for our annual Xmas-hols bash.
We drew a blank here recently during October for an EFL Cup tie and wondered quite what would follow this weekend.
WEATHER: cold . GATE: tba . KIT: blue & white . ATMOSPHERE: post-party flat as expected.
FABIAN HURZELER experienced his second English-style Xmas and missed indulging in continental market fests.
FH took advice from experts in medical & coaching skills to formulate a different but maybe rational team-sheet.
SQUAD: 17 Baleba (Afcon) 22 Mitoma 38 McGill (gk)
INJURED: 9 Tzimas . REHAB: 4 Webster 7 March
OOL: 3 Julio 16 Cashin 28 Ferguson 32 Sarmiento 33 ORiley 39 Rushworth (gk) 40 Buonanotte
STARTING SHAPE: 3-4-2-1
TEAM . . . . . . . . . 1 Verbruggen
. . . . . . 6 van Hecke 5 Dunk 42 Coppola
. 24 Kadioglu 26 Ayari 13 Hinshelwood 29 de Cuyper
. . . . 8 Gruda . . . . 10 Rutter . . . . 25 Gomez
SUBS: 11 Minteh (46), 27 Wieffer (46), 18 Welbeck (75), 14 Watson (87), 19 Kostoulas (87)
BENCH: 23 Steele 20 Milner 21 Boscagli 34 Veltman
GOALS:
1-0 - 14 . locals open scoring when visitors lose the ball and defenders go missing at the home counter.
2-0 - 52 . hosts double the lead at a set piece when Rutter heads past Verbruggen.
2-1 - 64 . GOMEZ notches a rebound when a strike from Ayari hits the post.
YELLOWS: 45 Verbruggen, 50 Dunk, 56 Coppola
CHANGES: 46 Minteh & Wieffer for Gruda & de Cuyper
75 - Welbeck for Hinshelwood . 87 - Watson & Kostoulas for Coppola & Gomez
FIRST HALF: a poor display from travellers that somehow kept the score to a single goal deficit by halftime.
SECOND HALF: the game was up soon into the second period.
A mid-half rally sees visitors score a goal.
Hosts regain an element of control to manage closing stages.
IN THE END: yet another December failure, this time against a big six outfit, which underlines continual problems.
NUMBERS: poss 53%-47%, on target 6-3, off target 18-5, corners 7-2,
fouls 7-13, yellows 2-3, subs 2-5, shape 433-3421 . . . . . gd1 pt24 po12
FS
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