Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Scores but Arsenal Can't Beat Brighton on Boxing Day

Arsenal could not get past Brighton & Hove Albion on Boxing Day, playing out a 1-1 draw with the Seagulls in the Premier League. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the team's only goal.  

The Gunners appeared to be in control after the early opener but Jurgen Locadia pulled his side level after 35 minutes, taking advantage of mistakes at the back. After half-time the hosts dominated, coming closest to finding a winner.

The draw moved the Gunners past Chelsea in the table, with the Blues in action later on Wednesday.

Emery Invites Crisis With Brighton Horror Show

Things can change quickly in football, and just 10 days after Arsenal's 22-match win streak came to an end, manager Unai Emery finds himself under heavy scrutiny and facing a potential crisis to start the new year.

The former Paris Saint-Germain boss was once again forced into making substitutions at half-time, something that has quickly become an issue and is an indication he got his initial setup wrong. But on Wednesday, he went all-out, baffling fans and pundits alike.

He took off Mesut Ozil for Alex Iwobi, even though Ozil's creativity was needed as the side chased a goal. He then introduced Aaron Ramsey to make up for the lack of a playmaker―a problem he created by taking off Ozil―and sacrificed one of his best scorers, Alexandre Lacazette.

His final move was to take off Laurent Koscielny for Ainsley Maitland-Niles, leading to even more confusion:

Per Get French Football News, this is not a new issue with Emery:

Ramsey and Ozil can't be happy with their playing time and the way Emery has treated them. The squad is dealing with injuries, compounding the coach's issues with substitutions, and all of a sudden the Gunners have won just one of their last four matches, with red-hot Liverpool awaiting on Saturday.

If Arsenal lose that match they could be five points behind Chelsea in the race for the top four, with in-form Manchester United on their heels. It would present the first real crisis of Emery's tenure, and in large part, it would be one the coach himself created with his mistakes here. 

Mental Errors Will Cost Gunners Top Four

Individual errors once again turned what should have been a simple match into a chore for the Gunners on Wednesday.

The early lead and ample chances for a second goal seemed to indicate Brighton wouldn't put up much resistance. Instead, a single counter led to the equaliser and an afternoon to forget for the Gunners.

Both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Bernd Leno made mistakes on the goal, with the former shouldering the brunt of the blame.

His header played in Locadia, who easily rounded Leno after he came off his line far too aggressively:

It's a familiar story for the Gunners, who can be charitable to opposing teams and give away far too many easy goals. 

Chelsea could pass the Gunners in the standings with a win over Watford, pushing the team out of the top four, and Manchester United are suddenly surging and could still play a major role in the hunt for the top four as well.

Out of those teams, Arsenal seem to struggle with mental errors the most, and if they miss out on a UEFA Champions League spot, that will likely be the reason.

What's Next?

Arsenal visit league leaders Liverpool on Saturday, while Brighton host Everton.