Putting in what was a dominant display in north London on Sunday afternoon, Arsenal breezed their way back to top spot in the Premier League table as they claimed a 2-0 victory against Brighton.
While the Gunners might have suffered just a second Premier League defeat of the season away at Aston Villa last weekend, Mikel Arteta’s young squad came roaring back here.
Watching ex-Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus open the scoring eight minutes after the restart, Arsenal were completely dominant at the Emirates as they put Brighton to the sword.
With Kai Havertz eventually wrapping up all three points in the final few minutes, Arteta’s side now hold a single-point buffer over the chasing pack and smelling a golden chance to make real history in the New Year.
While Brighton might have stormed their way to a stunning 3-0 romp when they last traveled to north London back in May, the Seagulls failed to find any kind of fluidity here.
Mustering just a single shot on David Raya’s goal and outplayed across the park, Roberto De Zerbi’s men will quickly have to dust themselves down ahead of a stacked winter schedule.
On an afternoon when Arsenal skyrocketed their way back to the top of the Premier League standings, we have taken a look at the main talking points.
Arsenal make another title statement
While Arsenal might have suffered Premier League title heartbreak last season as they missed out on the chance to claim a first domestic crown since 2004, the Gunners have come roaring back this time around.
Breezing their way to the Champions League knockout stage and with their sights set on mounting a genuine European charge in 2024, Arteta’s side have also gained a fearsome reputation for their success on home soil.
Not really having to get out of third gear here and recording a first victory against Brighton in north London since back May 2021, Arsenal have now won all of their previous seven showdowns at the Emirates across all competitions.
With that stellar hometown purple patch stemming all the way back to a 2-2 stalemate against bitter rivals Tottenham on September 24th, Arteta’s side now find themselves tipped as the leading title contender in the New Year.
Once again finding a route back to top spot and holding a slender one-point lead over Liverpool, Sunday’s hosts will be more than aware that stability is key in their bid to make history this season.
Brighton’s domestic issues on the road continue
While Brighton might have made real history earlier in the week as they cruised their way to a Europa League knockout stage ticket, it is fair to say that Sunday’s guests have struggled to find much domestic stability this time around.
Although De Zerbi’s side might have continued to receive a string of plaudits for their free-flowing approach, the one-time Sassuolo boss was far from pleased this weekend.
Now facing a major uphill battle in their bid to claim another stunning top-six finish in the New Year, Brighton fans will be most concerned by their extended domestic issues away from the south coast.
Along with opening December with an action-packed 3-2 defeat at the hands of an inconsistent Chelsea, De Zerbi’s men have now won just one of their previous six Premier League showdowns away from the Amex.
With that rut highlighted by an infamous 6-1 drumming against Aston Villa on September 30th, Brighton face a quick turnaround ahead of a derby battle against Crystal Palace on Thursday night.
Havertz striating to prove his worth
Although Kai Havertz might have drastically struggled to find his feet in north London after initially completing his £65million move from Chelsea, the German international is starting to show why Arteta was so desperate to complete a summer swoop.
Cementing his spot as a fan favourite around at the Emirates for his industrial approach, Arteta has made it clear that the 24-year-old has a crucial role to play across all competitions.
Producing a smart finish here and wrapping up all three points for the Gunners on Sunday afternoon, Havertz has now found the net in four of his previous seven appearances since returning from November’s international break.
Clearly enjoying life in his new central midfield role and working well alongside fellow big-money summer recruit Declan Rice, Havertz is certainly starting to live up to his price tag.
Match Report
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliva, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Subs: Smith Rowe, Nelson, Kiwior, Nketiah, Trossard
Brighton: Verbruggen, Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Milner, Gilmour, Gross, Adingra, Lallana, Mitoma, Ferguson
Subs: Hinshelwood, Buonanotte, Welbeck, Pedro, Julio
Goals: Jesus (53’), Havertz (87’)
Yellow Cards: Arsenal: White Brighton: Mitoma, Gross, Gilmour
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Tim Robinson
