Mikel Arteta must now drop Arsenal star against Newcastle United on Tuesday

Arsenal dropped more points in the Premier League following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

The Gunners went into the game in good form with four straight victories and were fancied to beat the Seagulls, who were winless in seven matches.

However, they could not pick up maximum points after a poor second-half performance.

Ethan Nwaneri put the Gunners ahead in the opening half. Brighton were the better side after the break and eventually scored from the penalty spot.

While it was a fortuitous penalty, Arsenal were not good enough in the second half. Brighton had better chances to win the contest.

Mikel Merino and Jorginho struggled to provide control in midfield, while Leandro Trossard was poor on the left wing.

The Belgian did not muster a single shot on target against his former club. Trossard also failed to register a cross or provide a key pass.

He lost possession on seven occasions over 90 minutes. The attacker had an 89 per cent passing accuracy but did not provide any attacking threat.

He must be dropped to the bench when the Gunners take on Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final at home on Tuesday night.

Ethan Nwaneri’s injury means Arsenal are running out of options in the final third.

If Kai Havertz does not recover from illness, manager Mikel Arteta should opt for Martin Odegaard as the false nine with Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli out wide.

Stats from Sofascore.com