Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres
Subs: Kepa, Gabriel, Eze, Jesus, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly
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Arsenal went back on top of the Premier League after a first half strike from Martin Odegaard and a second half own goal gave us a 2-1 win over Brighton at the Emirates this afternoon.
Mikel Arteta was without Jurrien Timber, and lost Riccardo Calafiori in the warm-up, with the Italian replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly.
There was an early chance for Viktor Gyokeres who held off Lewis Dunk but could not apply any power to his finish, and that was followed moments later by Bukayo Saka bursting into the but from a tight angle his shot hit the keeper.
Saka again had a pop, set through by Martin Odegaard, but fired over, although seconds later the Gunners were ahead. We intercepted a Brighton goal kick in their half, it came to the captain via Saka on the edge of the box and he drilled a shot inside the near post to make it 1-0 in the 15th minute.
The game settled down a bit, with lots of Arsenal possession but without causing too much danger in their final third. Saka’s attempt to feed Gyokeres was foiled by van Hecke, before Odegaard quickly found Saka again but his shot was deflected into the arms of the keeper as the game tipped over the half hour mark.
Trossard was enjoying himself on the left hand side, getting stick from the fans of his former club and van Hecke. His cross found Rice at the back post, but his left-footed shot was cleared away, and when Rice crossed to the far post, the ball hit Gyokeres and went behind although the striker’s view of the ball was obscured a bit by Saliba’s attempt to win a header.
The Gunners looked most likely to score a second, not long before the break there was a flurry of chances in their box. After a Rice cross, Saka hooked it back, Gyokeres headed fresh air, Merino’s shot was saved, then Trossard put it over the bar as he was falling backwards.
Bart Verbruggen picked up a yellow card after he flattened into Gyokeres as the Swede was sent down the inside left channel. The keeper didn’t deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity, but it was a heavy challenge. Brighton defended the free kick and we took the one goal lead into half-time.
The visitors made a couple of half-time changes, bringing on Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer for Maxim de Cuyper and Brajan Gruda, while Arteta kept his cards unplayed at that point. Brighton had a shot on target but it was an easy save for Raya, Dunk picked up a yellow for a cynical foul on Saka, and a beautiful Arsenal move from back to front ended with an Odegaard shot being blocked over for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, the lead was doubled, and it was yet another own goal, this time Georgino Rutter flicking a header into his own net. 2-0.
Coppola was then booked for a scything challenge on Trossard, Odegaard began really pulling the strings in midfield and his pass for Gyokeres saw the shot from a tight angle bounce away off the keeper. Saka had a shot deflected over after more good work from the skipper, but then the visitors got one back. Ayari had a shot which came back off the post, Gomez was quickest to the second ball to fire home from 12 yards. 2-1.
Arsenal looked a bit rattled, and Mikel Arteta’s reaction was to call for Gabriels from the bench, with Jesus and Magalhaes replacing Gyokeres and Lewis-Skelly. Good hold up play from Jesus saw Merino deliver a great ball to the back post but Dunk got there before Saka, and at the other end a brilliant save from Raya denied Minteh in the 76th minute.
Brighton, who had 0 shots in the first half, were by some distance more effective in the second half. Arteta turned to his bench again, sending on Gabriel Martinelli for Trossard, Jesus had a shot loop up and into the arms of the keeper, before Martinelli missed a sitter – blasting over from close range after great work down the right from Saka. He had to score there.
Jesus had a sight of goal but took too long to get his shot away, and Arsenal tried to see out the time in the Brighton corner. Hincapie got a yellow card for taking too long on a throw, Jesus got a shove in the back but the ref gave a corner, and then Saka went through with a chance to seal it but his shot was blocked by Dunk.
In the end it was a bit hairy, but we took all three points, which is the most important thing.