By Bulldog Drummond
- Have Arsenal really been led into chaos by a ludicrous transfer policy?
- 91,000 attended the last Barcelona women’s game. What can Arsenal learn?
If one is looking for a spot of good news, look no further than the Guardian (not normally a friend of Arsenal) who tell us that “Arsenal’s record against clubs outside the big six remains formidable: 16 wins, three draws and three losses, making 51 points from 22 games. All those defeats have come on the road and in the evening, so a 3pm kick-off at home should be just what the doctor ordered.”
Whichever way you look at it, the game on Saturday at 3pm (what an odd time to play a football match) should be an Arsenal home win. Take our regular home / away analysis for the season, for example…
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Arsenal home | 15 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 12 | 12 | 32 |
| 9 | Brighton and Hove away | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 19 |
Clearly, Arsenal are a lot better than Brighton when considering Arsenal at home and Brighton away, although it is worth noting that Brighton’s main approach to away games is to play for a draw. However, this is not an tactic that has been very successful of late…
For since 14 January Brighton and Hove have played 12 games, 11 of which have been in the league, and have gained a single win, four draws, and had six defeats.
On 13 January Brighton and Hove were eighth in the league. Now they are 13th having played one game more than Arsenal, so it is interesting to enquire how that demise came about.
Here’s the full list of games…
| Date | Game | Res | Score | Competition |
| 14 Jan 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Crystal Palace | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 18 Jan 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Chelsea | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 23 Jan 2022 | Leicester City v Brighton and Hove | D | 1-1 | Premier League |
| 5 Feb 2022 | Tottenham Hots v Brighton and Hove | L | 3-1 | FA Cup |
| 12 Feb 2022 | Watford v Brighton and Hove | W | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 15 Feb 2022 | Manchester United v Brighton and Hove | L | 2-0 | Premier League |
| 19 Feb 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Burnley | L | 0-3 | Premier League |
| 26 Feb 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Aston Villa | L | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 5 Mar 2022 | Newcastle United v Brighton and Hove | L | 2-1 | Premier League |
| 12 Mar 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Liverpool | L | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 16 Mar 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Tottenham Hots | L | 0-2 | Premier League |
| 2 Apr 2022 | Brighton and Hove v Norwich City | D | 0-0 | Premier League |
Looking at the last six games the two clubs have played, in terms of Arsenal home games the club has won three, drawn one and lost two. Brighton’s away read won one, drawn two and lost three.
So we are firmly in the driving seat. But let’s see if Brighton are using any of the techniques that some clubs like to indulge in, such as multiple fouling without many refereeing actions being imposed.
| Club | Tackles | Fouls | Yellows |
| Arsenal | 424 | 277 | 42 |
| Brighton | 535 | 311 | 58 |
So even allowing for the extra game played, Brighton and Hove tackle more than Arsenal, foul more than Arsenal and get more yellow cards than Arsenal, which seems reasonable enough. And yet hidden within these figures is one far less reasonable element.
| Club | Tackles/foul | Tackles/yellow | Foul/yellow |
| Arsenal | 1.53 | 10.10 | 6.59 |
| Brighton | 1.72 | 9.22 | 5.36 |
Arsenal can put in more tackles than Brighton before getting a yellow card. Arsenal can commit more fouls than Brighton before picking up a yellow card.
But Brighton can deliver more tackles than Arsenal before having one called as a foul. Which either suggests that Brighton have brilliant tacklers in their team who don’t deserve to have all those yellow cards given against them, or their tackles are generally quite gentle nonchalant affairs until suddenly one nasty kick is put in, or that most insidious of situations…
Referees tend to think of Brighton as a fairly innocuous team and so let them get away with tackles, while Arsenal are considered a dirty team by referees, and so need to be punished regularly.
We shall see.
OT
Just looking at the BBC website. Apparently their take on Leicester is that the “tie is finely poised” after a 0-0 draw at home. And seemingly again at home, West Ham were brilliant for managing under 30% possession, having just 5 shots to 23 and getting a player sent off.
We’ve been slated for far better performances and would have been crucified by the media for either of those outcomes but apparently these clubs warrant no criticism whatsoever. Strange that, it’s almost like the media have an agenda!!
Take it as a compliment that the media expect more from arsenal than Leicester or westham. Rather than be bitter that neutrals don’t like you. Be more supportive of other clubs success and less priveleged and deluded and you’ll get better coverage from the media. Arsenal are not a good team (by previous arsenal standards) They could be in time. Some good players. There’s a reason you’re in the chasing pack rather for 4th than higher. I think you’re over achieving this season too. Your top scorer only has one more than Brightons who can’t score for beans. Oh and Brighton don’t play for draws, they usually boss games and don’t score. Ask Chelsea. Ask your away fans who went to the Amex in October…
What evidence do you have Dan, that through being “more supportive of other clubs success and less priveleged and deluded and you’ll get better coverage from the media.”
I mean I might say “learn to spell and use grammatical constructions properly and people might take your arguments more seriously” but I wouldn’t have any evidence for that, it would just a silly remark. I am not sure there is any evidence for your claim, just as there is none for mine.
@ Dan
So you think Arsenal are over achieving. Great, now let’s hear a reasoned argument and some facts to prove your hypothetical statement.
While you’re at it, you could provide some evidence to show that if I say nice things about other clubs, the media will say nice things about Arsenal. I may be a bit thick but I just can’t see any logic that would support such cause and effect.
Mikey
Whatever you do, don’t expect Dan to reply. He comes here, spouts c**p, gets made to look a complete numbnuts, then disappears. The following is an exchange from back on the 8th of March:
From Dan
8 March 2022 at 9:17 PM
I’m sure your (Tony’s) little transfer ins and outs would have slated aubas exit as fake news at the time now its the best thing that happened this season. Hmmmm any apology from yourselves as you demand from the media?
Nitram
8 March 2022 at 9:53 PM
To Dan
“I’m sure your little transfer ins and outs would have slated Aubas exit as fake news at the time”
Are you ? I mean are you really really sure ??
This from Tony on Untold Arsenal on the 4th of January
ARE ARSENAL ABOUT TO BUY ANOTHER SHED LOAD OF PLAYERS ? OR JUST SELL AUBA ?
“So I am not saying that Arsenal are better by dint of a better performance against the rest of the “big six” – clearly not, but rather that even though Tottenham’s record is one draw better than ours, they have had the benefit of playing 80% of these games at the Un-sponsored Stadium, plus the majority of their league games at home.
Put all this together and I think the management will feel we are doing fine. As a result, the most likely transfer this window, will be the sale of Auba.”
AS A RESULT, THE MOST LIKELY TRANSFER THIS WINDOW, WILL BE THE SALE OF AUBA
https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/92227
Sometimes Dan you should really know what you are talking about before you make accusations.
now the point is Dan, are YOU going to apologise ?
—–
Of course he didn’t apologize, and whats more he’s still coming here talking the same un substantiated bullshit.
@ Nitram
I know you’re right. I don’t really expect a response is as much about venting my spleen at the absurdity of his assumptions 🙂
I remember seeing the post you quoted. It amused me no end!