A few minutes before half-time in a contest that swung entirely one way and then briefly the other, Brighton threatened what was then a rare foray into Arsenal territory. For the briefest of moments, the visitors seemed certain to muster their first shot of an afternoon that had hitherto been miserable.
No sooner had Maxim De Cuyper received the ball on the counterattack and glanced up, than the Belgian was flattened by a crunching Declan Rice tackle that hastily restored possession for the hosts. De Cuyper slumped, while Rice towered over him and roared; arguably this season’s standout Premier League midfielder making light of playing right-back for the first time in his Arsenal career.
If Arsenal are to win the Premier League this season – finally claiming the title after leading at Christmas for the third time in four seasons – a ceaseless succession of injuries would render it a feat of staggering performances.
Rice the right-back; Mikel Merino the striker; Christian Nørgaard the centre-back – all have been evident this season. If periods in the second half set Arsenal fans’ pulses racing at thoughts of a Brighton comeback, they would have possessed an abundance of absentee excuses if it had come to pass.
