"They start for every club in the Prem", "Insane business" - Fans hail Arsenal duo after 2-0 win against Brighton in EFL Cup clash

Arsenal fans were in awe of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie for their performances during their Carabao Cup Fourth Round clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday, October 29. The pair put in a good shift in defense as the Gunners secured a 2-0 victory at home to book their spot in the competition's quarterfinals.

After a goalless first half that saw Mikel Arteta’s side fail to register a single shot on target, they came into the second half with more intent, and it didn’t take long before their efforts paid off. Hale End graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri combined to open the scoring for Arsenal three minutes before the hour mark.

While the Seagulls also had their moments, it was the Premier League leaders who scored the second goal of the night. Bukayo Saka doubled his side’s advantage in the 76th minute, reacting quickly to a parried effort from Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele. The Gunners saw out the remaining minutes to keep their sixth consecutive clean sheet this season.

While several players impressed for Arsenal, Hincapie and Mosquera stood out. It is worth noting that this was Hincapie’s debut start for the Gunners. The Ecuadorian marked it by making four clearances, winning six of seven duels, and receiving the highest rating of any player across both teams at 8.2, according to Sofascore. Similarly, Mosquera made one clearance, won a couple of his duels, and received a match rating of 7.1.

After the match, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to heap praise on the defensive duo, with one writing:

“Mosquera and Hincapie start for every club in the Prem, btw. See limbs mahn🔥🔥.”

Another tweeted:

“Mosquera/Hincapie CB duo would be a lot of teams 1st pairing and they are our backups. Fucking crazy to think about.”

“Hincapie & Mosquera are such an enormous upgrade on Kiwior & Holding,” one wrote.

“A reserve pairing of Hincapie and Mosquera looks so so good. Both quick, both aggressive, both Arsenal,” another added.

“Comfortable win. Another clean sheet, Kepa, Mosquera, Hincapie and Nwaneri looked really good. Onwards,” a fan chimed in.

Mikel Arteta on Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Brighton in Carabao Cup clash

Mikel Arteta was happy with his side’s win over Brighton, describing the feeling as ‘unique.’ The Gunners boss told reporters after the match:

“A very special evening for obvious reasons. We made ten changes, we played players that have never played together. Two debuts for Max and Andrea. That feeling is unique.”

Arsenal will face Crystal Palace in the quarterfinals of the competition at the Emirates Stadium.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide