Brighton 0-3 Arsenal: Impressive victory puts the Gunners in first place in the Premier League

Arsenal spent 20 years chasing their first Premier League title, climbing to the top of the table with a formidable away win over Brighton.

The returning Bukayo Saka, absent from Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Luton with a minor injury, maintained his composure under pressure to concede a first-half penalty awarded for Tariq Lamptey’s foul on Gabriel Jesus.

David Raya surged wide to stop Julio Enciso’s spectacular long-range shot in the forty third minute, which was Brighton’s first shot on goal, and preserved Arsenal’s lead before the break.

It was the in-form Kai Havertz who gave the Gunners some respite after Jorginho’s strike to calm the nerves of the traveling Arsenal fans after the hour mark.

Bart Verbruggen denied former Brighton player Leandro Trossard, but the substitute made no mistake later as Havertz crossed and calmly lifted the ball over the Seagulls keeper, leaving the result in little doubt.

Brighton dropped to tenth place after defeat, with their hopes of gaining European football for a second successive season dashed by victories for West Ham and Newcastle directly above them.

Arsenal shows no signs of slowing down

Arsenal fans don’t have to be reminded that it was at this stage last season that their club began to lose hope of winning a Premier League trophy. The eight-point advantage they held as late as April 7 completely evaporated.

This time, with seven games remaining, there is no such thing as a sign that Arteta’s side will retreat in an interesting three-team title race.

With the painful experience of last 12 months behind them and the next 12 months of progress – evidenced by last week’s area of expertise against champions Manchester City – the Gunners look to be going from strength to strength as they pursue the club’s first league title since 2004.

They have now won 10 of their last 11 league games, taking 31 points from a possible 33 in 2024, with an aggregate rating of 38-4.

Although his teammates won without him in midweek, Saka showed how vital he’s to Arsenal’s title ambitions, with the Gunners clearly favoring attacks down the right. The 22-year-old England international currently has 30 goals in 39 appearances this season.

After Gabriel missed a likelihood to place the visitors ahead in the first two minutes when he headed the ball wide from an excellent Martin Odegaard free-kick, Saka looked set to attain with a left-footed shot but curled wide.

However, he has now taken the 14 league goals he scored last season and his confident shot from the penalty spot showed Arsenal’s greater maturity.

Havertz can also be hitting form at a super time for the Gunners as he has nine goals – including five – in his last seven league games.

Arsenal appear to have a tougher task ahead of them than City and Liverpool, with the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United still ahead of them. However, the focus is now on the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium.

Brighton stammers because it tries to repeat its European feat

Following this defeat, Brighton won only three of their last 12 league games, ending the club’s home run record of a 12-game unbeaten run.

Moreover, they’ve scored just three goals in their last eight games in all competitions. Much like the frustrating goalless draw with Brentford in midweek, here again the shortcomings in the final third made themselves felt.

Boss Roberto de Zerbi, whose influence since last season has seen him linked with stints at Liverpool and Bayern Munich, watched as encouraging pre-season play and effective pressing did not translate into meaningful shots on goal as Brighton managed only one shot heading in the right direction in each half .

They now face an uphill battle to qualify for European football for the second season in a row. Their bid to attain it will resume next Saturday at struggling Burnley.