Things are going from bad to worse for Arsenal in the early days of the Premier League’s resumption.
A 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday came only three days after a 3-0 beating by Manchester City, with the demoralizing results robbing Arsenal of the momentum they had before the suspension of the league three months ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qualification for the Champions League looks a long shot now — Arsenal were in 10th place, six points behind Manchester United in fifth after their match ended — and manager Mikel Arteta has a growing injury list to deal with in this congested period of matches.
Photo: EPA-EFE
German goalkeeper Bernd Leno, one of Arsenal’s best players this season, joined that list after landing awkwardly on his right knee after being given a nudge by Brighton striker Neal Maupay in an aerial challenge. Leno’s howls of pain were audible in the empty Amex Stadium and the goalkeeper remonstrated angrily with Maupay while being carried off on a stretcher.
Sure enough, it was the French striker who scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Arsenal’s players took out their frustrations on Maupay as he celebrated a huge win for Brighton after the final whistle, with fellow Frenchman Matteo Guendouzi grabbing him by the throat in an action that sent Maupay to the ground.
“Some of their players need to learn what is humility, especially one of them,” Maupay said, without mentioning Guendouzi by name.
“He was talking all game, he was saying bad things,” Maupay said.
“I don’t want to say because I could be in trouble. I just said that this is what happens when you talk too much on the pitch,” he said.
Maupay said that he had apologized to Leno and Arteta.
It was the third day of games after the Premier League restart, and it seems that the players have already forgotten some of the guidelines put in place to allow soccer to return in England.
Brighton’s players swarmed over Maupay after his winner, and the same happened with Watford and Leicester City players after their goals in a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road.
Ben Chilwell was mobbed by his Leicester teammates after smashing home a rising, angled shot off the inside of the post in the 90th minute for what looked like the winning goal.
However, there was more late drama as Watford center-back Craig Dawson executed a bicycle-kick for a brilliant equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-0 against West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth lost 2-0 to Crystal Palace.
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