Arsenal 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka sank Brighton and Hove Albion in the fourth round of the League Cup at the Emirates this evening (Wednesday 29 October).
Both goals came in the second half, with Nwaneri opening the scoring after 57 minutes as the home side capitalised on a sustained spell of pressure, with a flowing move.
Eberechi Eze played in Mikel Merino who backheeled the ball to Myles Lewis-Skelly in the area. He teed up Nwaneri who unleashed a cracking first-time shot.
Albion keeper Jason Steele got a hand to it but was unable to prevent the Gunners from taking the lead.
It was something of a turnaround from the first half when Brighton had more of the possession – and most of the chances – but, not for the first time, couldn’t press their advantage.
Shortly after the break, Arsenal’s youngest ever starter, 15-year-old Max Dowman, took a tumble when he was challenged in the box but there was no penalty despite the appeals.
Then came Nwaneri’s goal. Twenty minutes later, the second goal, from Saka, on as a sub, sealed Albion’s fate.
It followed a surging run by Jurrien Timber who passed to Andre Harriman-Annous, with less than 15 minutes left on the clock.
Steele got his legs to the shot from 17-year-old Harriman-Annous – and Saka, who came on for Dowman, was well-positioned to make the most of the rebound.
Carlos Baleba, Georginio Rutter and Stefanos Tzimas all had early chances – and Albion had more in the second half while Harriman-Annous and former Seagull Leandro Trossard both went close for the hosts.
If Albion seemed to be in the driving seat in the first half, the dynamics changed after the break as Mikel Arteta’s side started to assert themselves.
Their reward is a home tie against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals after Oliver Glasner’s side beat Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield.
Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler said: “It’s a strange feeling not being in the next round. You don’t usually get as many chances in a game against Arsenal so you have to score the goals and if you do that, you are in the next round.
“We had several shots but couldn’t score so that is frustrating. Their first goal changed the game – it’s not easier to score goals here.
“It is a missed opportunity. It’s a game of results and we have to deliver those so now we have to analyse why we didn’t do that in the last two games.
“Even in second half we had some good possibilities to score so we now have to give the players the right support to make sure they do it better next time.
“We have to take the positives and there were plenty of those. The nice thing is that we have our third game in a week in three days when we will try to do better against Leeds. That is our focus now.”
Brighton host Leeds United at the Amex Stadium for a 3pm kick-off on Satuday (1 November).
Albion are 13th in the table, with 12 points from nine games. Leeds are 15th, with 11 points from nine.
Here’s how Brighton lined up at the start …
