'He showed real courage': Graham Potter thrilled as Shane Duffy resurgence continues

Brighton and Hove Albion's Shane Duffy is embraced by team-mate Robert Sanchez after thwarting Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during the Premier League match at the AMEX Stadium. Picture: Ashley Western/PA

After a difficult week, Shane Duffy produced a performance against Arsenal on Saturday that underscored his resurgence since returning to Brighton and demonstrated why Graham Potter has shown such faith in the centre-back.

Duffy, 29, endured a testing time after being allowed to join Celtic on loan last season and by his own admission, the defender feared his prospects didn’t look good when he returned to the Amex Stadium last May.

The player worried he might have been written off by the manager, but Potter has already shown he does things differently. Duffy was included in the line-up for the opening game at Burnley and since then, his form and confidence have been restored.

Against Mikel Arteta’s side, the Albion manager pointed out the defender proved as adept at dealing with the close control and trickery of Emile Smith Rowe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he was at clearing his lines and paid particular tribute to the way the player performed after an emotionally draining few days following the loss of a family member.

“I thought Shane was fantastic,” said Potter. “He showed real courage because he was having to go in with Smith Rowe so often and that’s a real physical demand. The stereotype of what Shane is is a big centre-back who heads it away and defends his box really well which is an easy description of him. But today he had to defend in the space against a technician and he did it with real courage and quality as well.

“I’m delighted for him. He’s had a tough week, a real tough week. He’s had some issues at home so we are delighted for him. We are delighted how he is handling things. He had a family member who passed away so obviously our thoughts are with his family. It’s been a sad week for him.”

There is no doubt Duffy is grateful for the second chance handed to him by Potter. “A lot of managers, if it doesn’t work out and especially the year I had performance-wise, I could have been with the 18s, 23s and then been finding a new club,” he said.

“But from the first day I came back he has seen a different side of me. He’s seen that I’ve tried to make a difference in my life.

“I got a bit of luck as well in pre-season with a couple of injuries and Covid cases. Sometimes you need that in football.”

Potter is undoubtedly bringing the best out of a group of players who spent much of last season fighting relegation. Even without Yves Bissouma, the midfielder who has stood out during the opening weeks of the campaign, they out-played Arteta’s side but were unable to conjure the goal their efforts deserved.

Just as last season, though, the side’s defensive strength provides the platform, together with a noticeable sense of unity within the team.

For Arteta, Saturday’s game provided something of a reality check after the previous week’s north London derby. While the Gunners looked short in attack, they were resolute at the back and the manager drew confidence from his side’s resolve.

“Games like this generate belief," he said. “It generates more confidence that they can do it, that they complement each other really well, that they prefect each other really well. But I think collectively, even the midfield with the positions that they took when we were in dangerous zones to protect our box, I think it was really, really positive and one of the things that I take from the game.

“That we had the resilience when we had difficult moments to grind and take a result away from home.”

BRIGHTON (3-5-2): Sanchez 7; Duffy 8, Dunk 8 Burn 7; Veltman 6, Gross 7 (March 84, 6), Lallana 8, Moder 6 (Mac Allister 77, 6), Cucurella 9; Maupay 6, Trossard 7.

Subs (not used): Steele, Lamptey, Locadia, Roberts, Richards, Sarmiento.

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale 7; Tomiyasu 6, White 7, Gabriel 7, Tierney 6; Party 6, Lokonga 6; Saka 6, Odegaard 5 (Pepe 63, 6), Smith Rowe 6, Aubameyang 5 (Lacazette 71, 6).

Subs (not used): Leno, Holding, Cedris, Tavares, Elneny, Martinelli.

Referee: Jon Moss.