Brighton draw highlights Arsenal mistake Mikel Arteta hasn’t learned from – it’s happened five times

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Arsenal failed to beat Brighton for the second time in the Premier League this season, drawing 1-1 at the Amex.

After an eventful 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Brighton back in August, a drama-filled 90 minutes was on show when the two sides met on week 20.

Mikel Arteta was delighted to see Ethan Nwaneri make Arsenal history by opening the scoring, being the first Gunner under 18 to score multiple Premier League goals.

Unfortunately, the teenager’s goal did not count for the winner, as Joao Pedro netted an equaliser from the spot after Brighton were awarded a controversial penalty.

• READ MORE: What Mikel Arteta thinks about Brighton’s penalty after Arsenal handed frustrating decision

Arsenal are making a habit of dropping points in the Premier League

Despite not getting the result they wanted, several Arsenal players impressed against Brighton, with none shining as bright as Nwaneri.

Declan Rice also impressed at the Amex however, for all of the player’s efforts, the Gunners were unable to stop history from repeating itself.

The game had a Groundhog Day effect for Arteta, who once again saw his team earn a single point in the Premier League.

Arsenal already have more draws than the entirety of last season, telling of the slip in standard within the squad.

What’s concerning is that the 1-1 draw at Brighton not only represented the Gunners’ seventh of the league campaign but, was the fifth instance of settling for a draw from a winning position.

That means that 71% of Arsenal’s draws this term have come from being in an advantageous position, suggesting that Arteta’s game management isn’t quite up to scratch.

Arsenal are dropping off in the second half

The numbers displayed that Arsenal lost momentum in the second half against Brighton, losing more duels than they were winning after the interval.

Of four of Arsenal’s seven draws, the Gunners carried a lead into half-time, emphasising where points are being lost as intensity drops after the break in play.

Arteta has a lot of issues to solve within his squad at present however, second-half management might just be the most important, as the North Londoners cannot afford to drop more points.

The title race is already getting away from Arsenal, who are quite often missing something from performances in 2024/25.