But Mikel Arteta will still be disappointed to lose to an alert, gutsy Brighton side who responded admirably to bounce back and have a bright future if the performance of a young squad is any measure. Kaoru Mitoma completed the turnaround after Danny Welbeck’s penalty canceled out an Eddie Nketiah finish and Tariq Lamptey added some sparkle. It meant that Arsenal’s 12-match winning streak at the Emirates, Brighton coincidentally the previous opposition to beat them here, came to an end. The relatively strong squads Arteta has picked for Europa League action have made headlines in previous weeks, but he took few risks with key players here. Only William Saliba was left out of the side that won at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and, while the bench was full of big players, Bukayo Saka got a rare night with his feet up. The news would be music to Gareth Southgate’s ears. Roberto De Zerbi had made eight changes from the rollercoaster win over Wolves and, as so often on such occasions, it looked like whoever could muster the most cohesive display would be the winner. Nketiah’s goal made that proposition look flawed because Brighton had posed the first threat. Paraguayan youngster Julio Enciso failed to connect with a free header in front of goal after three minutes and went over just before kick-off. Jeremy Sarmiento had cut inside and put a shot of his own high enough and, apart from Fábio Vieira’s effort from Reiss Nelson’s cutback, Arsenal were unable to do so. Nelson has a remarkable spring in his step after scoring twice against Nottingham Forest last month. It was a contribution that sparked an impressive career and his job in setting Nketiah up this time was outstanding. Carrying the ball inside, he picked the right time and weight of pass to play to Nketiah on his left. the finish, swept first around Jason Steele, was superb. Quick guide
Carabao Cup Summary
projection Angelo Ogbonna missed the crucial penalty as a youngster Blackburn are rejected West Ham out of the Carabao Cup 10-9 on spot kicks. After 19 successful penalties, Ogbonna’s effort hit the underside of the crossbar to see Championship Rovers through to the fourth round after a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium. It was a deserved victory for a Rovers side with an average age of just 22-and-a-half as Jon Dahl Tomasson made 11 changes with more than one eye in Sunday’s Championship derby against Burnley. They took the lead with an early goal from Jack Vale before Pablo Fornals drew West Ham level and Michail Antonio put the hosts in front. But substitute Ben Brereton Díaz, Rovers’ top scorer, sent the game to penalties and Italian defender Ogbonna was the man to fall. Boubacar Traore’s late winner was sent off Wolves through, the substitute struck with five minutes remaining, changed a lot Leeds and sealed the home team’s 1-0 victory. It clarified a lackluster game that looked set to go to penalties and gave new Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui and his coaches food for thought. Lopetegui is set to travel to the club’s training base in Compton on Friday before attending Saturday’s visit of Arsenal before officially taking charge on Monday. The former Spain manager’s lieutenants were at Molineux having already briefly introduced themselves to the squad. Thanks for your response. But Brighton deserved their equaliser, which arrived seven minutes later, and it was a moment for Karl Heine to forget. The 20-year-old already has 16 caps for Estonia and a rising reputation but, on his first-team debut for Arsenal, slipped as Welbeck raced onto a pass. The former Arsenal forward appeared to have taken too heavy a touch, but Heine’s mistake allowed him to get to the ball first, with the keeper cutting him out after doing so. The penalty was awarded calmly. The rattling pace of the first half hour could not be sustained, although Arsenal might have gone back in front before the break if a broken Nketiah had successfully picked out Vieira. Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our site and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Kaoru Mitoma (right) scores Brighton’s second goal at the Emirates. Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images It would have been four minutes into the second period if Nketiah’s low 20-pointer, which crashed off the post, was inches to the right. Arsenal’s intensity was unrecognizable and almost immediately Nelson called for an excellent save from Steele with a header from Marquinho’s cross. Albert Sabi Lokonga then shone and at this point Brighton, who had introduced Mitoma and Pascal Gross at the interval, were simply held. In a role reversal of the first half, De Gerby’s side scored immediately with their first attack after a change of wings. Mitoma’s clinical right-footed finish was similar to Welbeck’s, with a powerful run and pass from the impressive Jeremy Sarmiento creating the chance after a clever counter-attack. Arteta immediately looked to the bench and called Gabriel Martinelli. Before the Brazilian could make any impact, Lamptey settled things down. It was another slick goal, taking a Billy Gilmour pass in his stride before sprinting clear down the left and past Hein. More Arsenal cavalry duly arrived, but Brighton’s progress was well deserved.
