Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori expressed his disappointment after the 1-1 draw Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The Seagulls came from behind to secure a point in their Premier League clash at the Amex Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s team took the lead in the 16th minute with an excellent goal by Ethan Nwaneri. However, in the 60th minute, William Saliba fouled Joao Pedro in the box. The Brazilian centre-forward converted the resulting penalty. Brighton created more chances after that, but couldn’t find the winner.
After the game, Calafiori shared his thoughts on the game, saying (via Tribal football):
“You can see on my face that I’m frustrated and disappointed. We could certainly have done better. The good thing is that we have another game in two or three days and we’re already thinking about it.
“The first 25 minutes were how Arsenal should play, and then we couldn’t dominate the game. From tomorrow we will forget this game and think about the next one. The season is so long.”
The Gunners remained second in the Premier League standings, five points behind Liverpool, who played two games less.
Mikel Arteta in the January transfer window after Arsenal’s draw against Brighton
The Gunners are already without Bukaya Saka and Raheem Sterling through injury and also appear to have lost Ethan Nwaneri on Saturday. Manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that the 17-year-old had a muscle problem, which led to his substitution at half-time.
After the game against Brighton, Mikel Arteta was asked if Arsenal should sign new players in the ongoing transfer window. He answered (via Arsenal.com):
“Obviously we can’t make a decision based on one performance in one day where there are a lot of circumstances – not only the players that have been lost, but also the replacement that will remove Ethan, the one with Martin has been introduced for a very limited time. Hopefully on Tuesday we will be in a better position, let’s see.”
The Gunners are currently active in all four competitions. They are second in the Premier League and third in UEFA Champions League order. They next face Newcastle United at home in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday, January 7. They will then host Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup on January 12.
Edited by Aditya Singh
