By Arsenal’s perfect start to the 2024/25 Premier League season came to an end on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium. The match, which saw Kai Havertz score for the Gunners and Joao Pedro equalize for the visitors, was marred by a second-half red card for Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.
The home side started brightly, with Bukayo Saka testing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen just two minutes into the match. Arsenal continued to press, and Martin Odegaard missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring from close range.
Brighton, under the guidance of manager Fabian Hurzeler, grew into the game as the first half progressed. Yankuba Minteh headed wide for the Seagulls, while Kaoru Mitoma flashed a volley past David Raya’s goal following a defensive lapse from Arsenal.
The deadlock was broken in the 38th minute when Havertz capitalized on a defensive error by Lewis Dunk. Saka dispossessed the Brighton captain and provided a precise through ball to Havertz, who deftly chipped over the onrushing Verbruggen to give Arsenal the lead.
The turning point of the match came just four minutes into the second half. Rice, who had been booked in the first half for a late challenge on Joel Veltman, received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after fouling the same player. Referee Chris Kavanagh had no hesitation in dismissing the England international, leaving Arsenal to play the remainder of the match with ten men.
Brighton took full advantage of their numerical superiority, equalizing in the 58th minute through Joao Pedro. The Brazilian forward, fresh from his heroics the previous weekend, reacted quickest to fire home after Raya had parried Minteh’s close-range effort.
Despite being a man down, Arsenal nearly retook the lead when Havertz broke clear on goal, only to be denied by a fine save from Verbruggen. The German then turned provider for Saka, but the young winger’s effort was comfortably held by the Brighton keeper.
As the match wore on, Brighton pushed for a winner, with substitute Yasin Ayari forcing Raya into a sprawling save. However, Arsenal’s defense held firm to secure a hard-earned point.
The result leaves Arsenal still unbeaten but having dropped their first points of the campaign. For Brighton, the draw continues their impressive start to the season under new manager Hurzeler.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s resilience after the match, stating, “We showed great character to defend with ten men against a very good Brighton side. It’s not the result we wanted, but there are positives to take from this performance.”
Brighton’s Hurzeler expressed satisfaction with his team’s response to going behind, saying, “We showed great spirit to come back after conceding. Playing against ten men is not always easy, but I’m pleased with how we controlled the game in the second half.”
The draw sets up an intriguing few weeks ahead for both teams as they look to build on their strong starts to the season. Arsenal will need to regroup quickly, with Rice now facing a suspension, while Brighton will be buoyed by their performance against one of the league’s top sides.
