Brighton & Hove Albion – Arsenal: Boring, Boring Arsenal Are One Step Closer (0-1)

Less possession, passes, shots and shots on target, but ultimately the victors on the evening. It is a score card that one would not traditionally associate with Arsenal, but the league leaders are embracing defensive discipline and the dark arts to a standard that might lead them to success.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Brighton & Hove Albion are a constant work in progress. Headed up by Fabian Hürzeler, the youngest Premier League head coach, they are a group that has struggled for consistency and adequate game management. Their strong form in autumn faded away over another dreary December, and as spring approaches, it is another year in which the club will finish far off the pace of European football. But with back-to-back victories under their belt, did they have the confidence to cause a significant shock?

For the third time in four years, Arsenal are entering the business end of the campaign as a contender for the Premier League title. They marked the middle of the March by being at the top of the table on the last two occasions, and the side are setting pace for the rest of the English elite once more. The criticisms of a very systemic unit are well rehearsed, and the reliance on set-pieces is unprecedented a gamebreaker, but it will not matter if they can keep picking up the right results until the end of May.

After capital clashes against

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