Arsenal moved back to the summit of the Premier League with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Emirates, but not before riding out a nervy second-half spell sparked by a Seagulls revival.
With Manchester City having won earlier in the day, the pressure was firmly on Mikel Arteta’s side to respond. They did so with authority early on, dominating possession and territory, and were rewarded after 14 minutes when Martin Ødegaard drilled a low effort from distance into the corner to claim his first goal of the campaign.
Arsenal should have been further ahead by the interval. They pinned Brighton deep, restricted them to zero shots in the opening half and created a string of chances, yet poor finishing kept the contest alive. That profligacy would eventually make the afternoon more uncomfortable than it needed to be.
The hosts doubled their lead in the second half in somewhat fortunate fashion when a near-post corner from Declan Rice was inadvertently turned into his own net by Georginio Rutter, continuing a recent run of opponents gifting Arsenal goals. Even then, the game was far from settled.
Brighton, largely subdued before the break, emerged with far greater intent after the restart. Their persistence was rewarded when Diego Gómez reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and fired home, instantly shifting the mood inside the stadium.
Moments later, Arsenal were indebted to goalkeeper David Raya, who produced a stunning, full-stretch save to claw away Yankuba Minteh’s effort and preserve his side’s slender advantage. It proved a defining intervention.
Despite regaining control, Arsenal could not find the cushion of a third goal. Gabriel Martinelli blazed over from Bukayo Saka’s cross, while Viktor Gyökeres endured another frustrating outing, including an early one-on-one he failed to convert. By full-time, the Gunners had attempted 24 shots, a statistic that underlined both their dominance and their inefficiency.
The afternoon was also shaped by disruption before a ball was kicked. Injuries forced late changes, with Declan Rice filling in at right-back and Riccardo Calafiori withdrawing during the warm-up, prompting a reshuffle that included the introduction of Myles Lewis-Skelly. Even so, Arsenal’s structure held firm when Brighton pushed late on.
Ultimately, the hosts did enough to secure the points and move two clear at the top of the table. Brighton, meanwhile, leave north London encouraged by their second-half response but winless in five and sitting in mid-table, aware that slow starts continue to cost them.
