Arsenal 1-3 Brighton: Lamptey leaps to top of Albion ratings
It says much about the squad depth Brighton enjoy that Roberto De Zerbi could make eight changes for Arsenal 1-3 Albion and yet his starting XI still felt like a strong one, backed up by some pretty impressive player ratings at the Emirates.
The likes of Tariq Lamptey, Levi Colwill, Billy Gilmour and Jeremy Sarmiento have all had to be content with little Premier League football in the 2022-23 thus far.
Given an opportunity to take on the Premier League leaders in the Carabao Cup, all four put scores of over 7.5 on the board as the Seagulls advanced to the fourth round stage of the competition.
Having such talents waiting in the wings is good news for De Zerbi when injuries and suspensions bite after the World Cup.
It also means that should Chelsea start bidding for anything not nailed to the ground in January, Brighton have capable replacements in the event of further departures to join Glow Up Graham in West London.
Here are the player ratings from Arsenal 1-3 Brighton.
Jason Steele – 7.55
Exactly the sort of 90 minutes we know and love from the Albion’s backup goalkeeper. Some hairy moments in possession which sewed chaos and confusion in the Brighton ranks mixed in with two brilliant early second half saves when the score was locked at 1-1. Without those interventions, the outcome might have been very different.
Joel Veltman – 6.82
Important minutes in the tank as he returns from injury. Solid defensively on the right which provided the balance allowing Lamptey to bomb forward at will down the other flank. His football brain was evidenced with involvement in the second goal.
Lewis Dunk – 7.27
Brighton had to withstand a lot of pressure at times, particularly in the 15 minutes leading up to the Arsenal goal and at the start of the second half. Made some crucial interventions and blocks before he exited proceedings in a pre-planned swap for Adam Webster on the hour mark.
Levi Colwill – 7.91
The Albion jury has been very much out on the Chelsea youngster up to his point, thanks largely due to him being given very few minutes. Proved himself a rock solid defender against a lively Gunners attack and his comfort in possession suits De Zerbi’s style well. Brighton can be confident in him stepping in to do a job if Dunk or Webster were absent at any point.
TARIQ LAMPTEY – 8.55
There’s a starman playing on the… left? De Zerbi gave Lamptey a new role in Arsenal 1-3 Brighton and he absolutely loved it on his way to topping the player ratings. Raced clear to complete the scoring with a clinical finish. With the Albion’s shift to a back four, he looks capable of challenging Pervis Estupinan for the left back spot.
Moises Caicedo – 6.45
Played 45 minutes but nowhere near his industrious best. An early yellow card did not help and nobody could blame him either if he was reigning it in with the World Cup less than two weeks away.
Billy Gilmour – 7.73
A busy presence in midfield alongside Caicedo in the first half and then Pascal Gross in the second. Lots of nice touches and very tidy in possession, meaning that Brighton’s pool of talent in the middle looks even deeper now.
Jeremy Sarmiento – 7.73
Completing 90 minutes against Premier League opponents without getting injured feels like a big moment for Sarmiento. He brought unpredictability, excitement and a very nice assist to proceedings when teeing up Kaoru Mitoma for the second Brighton goal.
Julio Enciso – 7.18
Should have scored when failing to connect properly with a header inside the opening five minutes. Things got better from there and he played a part in both second half goals. There was one unbelievable improvised turn in the first half when it appeared as though the ball was stuck to his foot with glue as he took two Arsenal players out of the game. Even the home crowd gasped.
Solly March – 7.00
Returned to the left having spent recent weeks on the right in the bread and butter of league football. His clever pass released Danny Welbeck to win the penalty before he was withdrawn at half time.
Danny Welbeck – 8.00
Won the penalty when wiped out by Karl Hein which he then converted for his first goal of the season. Dropped deep at times, linked play well and gave his former club a torrid time overall.
Pascal Gross – 6.73
Came on at half time and was content to sit in front of the back four where he kept the ball moving. A pretty unglamorous job but an important one in the context of Brighton winning the second half 2-0.
Kaoru Mitoma – 8.18
Two goals in two games now for the man from the land of sushi and Asahi. His was a powerful strike into the far corner. The sight of him and Sarmiento flying down the flanks was a joy to behold.
Adam Webster – 7.00
Brought on with half hour remaining, he had to deal with the arrival of the Gabriel Jesus, Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko into the game. He did so very well.
The WAB Player Ratings are formulated using marks out of 10 given by Brighton fans via Twitter. To have your scores included, follow We Are Brighton on Twitter and look out for the player rating thread after each game.
