Post Match report for the Arsenal game - Wednesday, 4th March 2026
PREMIER LEAGUE 25/26: Brighton V Arsenal - 4/3/26 P29
* * * * * ONE SHOT SALVO * * * * *
RESULT: 0-1 . . (h-t 0-1)
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - fifteenth home match of 29 fixtures to date . Wed 7:30pm.
BEFORE KICKOFF: this midweek evening pre-match lightshow affair was the second of two home matches in quick succession and marked the three-quarters stage of proceedings.
Our Prem record against Gunners over eight previous seasons was pretty average and on balance perhaps presented a bigger threat than before to avoid another defeat tonight.
WEATHER: dry . GATE: 31,575 . ATMOSPHERE: underwhelmed with table toppers.
FABIAN HURZELER wanted to attain a higher profile in all senses compared to last season as he approached the vital run-in.
FH took a pragmatic point of view with tinkering rotations for match-day group selections.
SQUAD: 38 McGill (gk) 3 Julio 7 March 19 Kostoulas 51 Tasker 54 Simmonds 58 Oriola
INJURED: 5 Dunk . REHAB: 4 Webster 9 Tzimas
OOL: 8 Gruda 14 Watson 16 Cashin 28 Ferguson 32 Sarmiento 39 Rushworth (gk) 40 Buonanotte 42 Coppola
STARTING SHAPE: 4-2-3-1 variant
TEAM . . . . . . . . . 1 Verbruggen
. 27 Wieffer 6 van Hecke 21 Boscagli 24 Kadioglu
. 25 Gomez 17 Baleba 30 Gross (C) 22 Mitoma
. . . . . 13 Hinshelwood . . . 10 Rutter
SUBS: 11 Minteh (46), 18 Welbeck (69), 26 Ayari (77), 34 Veltman (77), 53 Howell (77)
BENCH: 23 Steele 20 Milner 29 de Cuyper 33 ORiley
GOAL:
0-1 - 9 . visitors single shot against run of play deflects past Verbruggen as he attempts to intercept.
YELLOWS: Gomez 52, Boscagli 80, Kadioglu 82, Ayari 94
CHANGES: 46 Minteh for Mitoma
69 Welbeck for Hinshelwood . 77 Ayari, Veltman & Howell for Baleba, Wieffer & Gomez
FIRST HALF: conceding so early gave hosts disadvantage but plenty of time to force a possible equaliser.
Despite more momentum, possession and attempts hosts go into the interval without scoring.
SECOND HALF: Hurzeler makes an attacking sub on turnaround.
Past the hour mark locals are well on top for basic stats.
Hurzeler makes later alterations.
IN THE END: lack of finding the net means a single goal game loss with fts stat
NUMBERS: poss 60%-40%, on target 3-2, off target 8-5, corners 4-3,
fouls 14-12, yellows 4-1, subs 5-3, shape 4231-4231 . . . . . gd2 pt37 po12
FS
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