**Arsenal**returned to the top of the Premier League table with a nervous 2-1 win against Brighton.
For the first hour of action at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners had established clear superiority over the Seagulls, scoring through Martin Odegaard and a Georginio Rutter own goal. But a game of football can flip in an instant, and a close-range finish from Diego Gomez gave fans reason to fear.
Some substitutions helped relief the pressure for the hosts, but they continue to make things difficult.
Story of the Match
Mikel Arteta has endured an injury crisis in his defensive unit— and the latest twist came in the warm-up for Arsenal. Riccardo Calafiori went down the tunnel minutes before kick-off as Myles Lewis-Skelly slotted in for him as a left back. The absence of Jurrien Timber from the matchday squad meant Declan Rice replaced him at right back. Mikel Merino maintained a midfield role.
Fabian Hurzeler had used a back three at the **Emirates Stadium**in the Carabao Cup back in October, and he returned to this formation for this trip from the south coast. Lewis Dunk and **Jan Paul van Hecke**were reintroduced to the lineup with David Coppola. **Maxim de Cuyper**came in for Mats Wieffer as one of the wingbacks, and **Diego Gomez**got a spot ahead of Yankuba Minteh.
Having seen **Man City**claim top spot in the table with a 2-1 victory at Nottingham Forest, the Gunners came out with fire in their bellies. After only two minutes of this match, a clipped ball from the left flank forced Dunk to backpedal with Viktor Gyokeres in hot pursuit. The ball bounced kindly for Swedish striker, who failed to seize the opportunity as he tamely struck towards the target.
Seconds later, Bukayo Saka streaked down the right, getting the better of de Cuyper in their first battle. He reached a position to try and test the goalkeeper, being denied by Bart Verbruggen.
The Seagulls started to grow into the game, but the hosts had more of the initiative on their favoured flank. On another break, Odegaard missed the opportunity to send Saka behind the backline, and the winger had to be content to work his way around two blue and white shirts before firing at the goal.
Next time, the captain’s radar was on point. Verbruggen put Brajan Gruda under pressure with a pass out from the back, and **Arsenal**pounced. The ball was laid back to Odegaard, who picked out the bottom corner of the net and put the Gunners into the lead with his first goal of the campaign.
**Brighton**hung on in the contest, but seldom looked like offering the same threat through **Georginio Rutter**that they did in the cup. Would their opponents have enough firepower to finish them off?
Fine margins have been the tale of the last few weeks, and it did not seem that the story would change.
Rice shanked a delivery with too much power before a pinpoint cross caught Gyokeres off guard at the far post as he expected William Saliba to connect. Saka then was too hesitant in a 1 v 1 on the counter against van Hecke, drilling the ball into the central defender. From the following corner, **Brighton**cleared and as **Arsenal**reloaded the attack with a long ball, a messy melee ensued.
Rutter ducked underneath the ball, allowing Saka to stride into the box. He flashed the ball across the face of the six-yard box without any red and white shirts providing the final touch. Moments later, Gyokeres was inches away from flicking a Saka volley goal bound, and at the third attempt, Martin Zubimendi watched an impudent flick get parried by Verbruggen. Somehow, the scoreline stayed 1-0.
In injury time, Lewis-Skelly shovelled the ball down the left channel for Gyokeres to chase. The striker got away from van Hecke and Verbruggen was second to the duel. The lack of an obvious goalscoring opportunity spared the shot stopper a red card, but the guests remained rattled.
Before the start of the second half, Wieffer came on for de Cuyper, and livewire Minteh swapped in for Gruda. Within minutes, the two substitutes connected to assist Jack Hinshelwood, who registered the first shot (and the first effort on target) for the Seagulls from this trip to North London.
However, the hosts would afford their opponents little room to build more momentum. Odegaard watched a strike get blocked and fly out for a corner. Rice wound up with his typically high standard of delivery, and the ball came off Rutter to go into the back of his own net. For the first time since the thrashing of Tottenham, the Gunners had scored twice before second half injury time in the league.
On the hour mark, Gyokeres got down the right channel and thundered a strike into the body of Verbruggen. **Brighton**looked like they had little to offer, but suddenly, the clash sparked into life.
Rutter held up the ball on the edge of the penalty area, and Yasin Ayari managed to fire a strike off the post. Rice reacted later than Gomez, who lashed home the rebound and halved the deficit.
Arteta asked two of his Brazilian boys to bring help to his side. Gabriel Jesus switched in for Gyokeres while Gabriel Magalhaes made his first appearance since the last international break.
The return of the team’s spiritual leader at the back could not immediately restore order. Minteh made more inroads on the right flank, forcing David Raya into a splendid save to keep the hosts in the lead. The Spaniard was then caught under a corner delivery as Wieffer watched his header fly over the bar.
In stark contrast to the first half, the Gunners had become more passive, sitting deeper in their half of the pitch. It was high time for Gabriel Martinelli to enter the action, acting as an outlet on the left.
Indeed, the wide forward was presented with a brilliant opening as he cut across his marker from a central position to connect with a low cross from Saka, but he hammered the ball over the target.
**Arsenal**went back to pole position by the final whistle— but they ran this one closer than ideal.