A game that pivoted on the controversial sending off of Declan Rice early in the second half ended in a 1-1 draw.
Kai Havertz had put us into a first-half lead when he deftly lobbed the onrushing keeper after running onto a Bukayo Saka pass.
We were seemingly in control until Rice was shown red for two bookable offences, the second for time wasting, when the referee decided he had prevented a quick restart.
The visitors soon made their advantage count, and levelled on the hour through Joao Pedro. We had a chance to win it when Havertz raced through on the counter, but in the end the ten men had to settle for a single point.
Havertz gives us lift-off
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka linked up early on. The skipper lifted a ball over the top for the winger to run on to inside the area, but Saka failed to get any power on his volleyed effort. Ben White did catch his strike from the edge of the area sweetly moments later, and it seemed to be heading goalwards, but Lewis Dunk deflected it away for a corner off his arm. The referee waved away appeals for handball against the Brighton defender.
A wonderful curling cross from Leandro Trossard – in the team at the expense of Gabriel Martinelli – set up our next chance. The Belgian’s pass was perfectly into the path of the arriving Odegaard, but there was no power behind his shot.
Brighton’s first real sight of goal came on the half hour. Havertz misdirected his headed clearance inside his own box and Kaoru Mitoma latched onto it, flashing his volley just wide.
The goal to break the deadlock came out of nothing. Jurrien Timber won the ball and launched it up field from outside his own area. Saka won the header and the ball bounced through to the advancing Havertz. The German stole in and lifted the ball over the head of Bart Verbruggen from outside the area into the net.
It was Havertz’s 18th goal involvement in his last 21 Premier League games, and he’s scored five times in his last five appearances at Emirates Stadium.
Rice sees red
The first action of the second half was a Declan Rice shot deflected wide for a corner, and moments later Rice was the centre of attention again. He gave away a free kick by the corner flag, then nudged the ball away before Joel Veltman could take it. Referee Chris Kavanagh deemed it a second yellow card for timewasting, and dismissed the England midfielder.
Reduced to ten men for virtually half the game, it also means Rice will be suspended for the north London derby after the international break.
Within 15 minutes of the red card, Brighton had levelled. Raya saved well from Yankuba Minteh as he burst between our central defenders inside the box, but Pedro was there to convert the rebound.
Mikel Arteta reacted by sending on Riccardo Calafiori for Leandro Trossard, and moving Jurrien Timber into a central role.
Late chances
The whole momentum of the game had changed with the referee struggling to keep control.
We were having to soak up pressure, but Havertz had a great opportunity on the break from a long Gabriel clearance. He took the ball superbly on the run, but his low shot was stopped by Verbruggen, and Saka’s follow up was charged down.
Raya saved well with his legs from Yasin Ayari before Saka couldn’t quite get enough purchase on a Havertz cross in front of goal.
In the end we had to take a point, maintaining our unbeaten start to the season.
FACTS AND STATS
Since Boxing Day 2019 - Mikel Arteta's first game in charge of Arsenal - we have been shown 16 red cards in the Premier League, at least three more than any other side. In what was his 245th Premier League appearance, Declan Rice was shown his first red in the competition.
Brighton have remained unbeaten in their opening three games of a top-flight season for just a second time, previously doing so in 2022-23 (W2 D1 on both occasions).
This was the first time we have failed to win a Premier League game having led at half time since a 2-2 draw with West Ham in April 2023, having won each of our previous 22 such matches.
Brighton’s possession figure of 63.7% was the highest by a visiting side to Emirates Stadium in the Premier League since Manchester City in January 2022 (71.2% - Arsenal also reduced to 10 men in that game), while the Seagulls’ 22 attempts on goal were the most we have faced in a home league game since August 2021 against Chelsea (also 22).
Bukayo Saka became the first Arsenal player to provide an assist in each of the first three games of a Premier League season since Thierry Henry in 2004/05.
Kai Havertz has scored in each of his last four Premier League appearances against Brighton, while his five goal involvements against the Seagulls are the most he has against an opponent in the competition (4 goals, 1 assist).
Havertz’s opener was his 34th Premier League goal overall but his first from outside of the box, with his previous strike from distance in league competition coming for Bayer Leverkusen against Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga back in May 2017.
What’s next
The international players will now join up with their respective countries for the first international break of the season. We’ll return to action the following weekend, with the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the north London derby, on Sunday, September 15.
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