Arsenal maintained their position at the Premier League summit with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium, a win once again underpinned by a generous helping of festive goodwill from their opponents.
Own Goals and Early Dominance
If Mikel Arteta's side are to finally clinch the title, they may well look back on this period and send thank-you notes to the opposition defenders who have aided their cause. Georginio Rutter's first-half own goal marked the fourth such gift Arsenal have received in their last four matches across all competitions, following similar contributions from Wolves, Crystal Palace, and others.
The hosts were utterly dominant for the opening hour. Martin Odegaard broke the deadlock with a composed finish after a defensive error from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who played a risky pass into midfield that was intercepted. The Arsenal captain controlled and slotted home with precision for his first league goal of the season.
The lead was doubled just after half-time when Declan Rice's corner was glanced into his own net by Brighton's Georginio Rutter. At that stage, the statistics were brutally one-sided: Arsenal led shots 19-0, with Bukayo Saka tormenting the defence and Rice impressing in an unfamiliar right-back role due to last-minute injuries.
Nervy Finish Raises Questions
However, as in recent matches against Wolves and Crystal Palace, Arsenal made life difficult for themselves. From a position of total control, they allowed Brighton a route back into the game. Diego Gomez lashed in a rebound after a shot hit the post, suddenly transforming the atmosphere inside the Emirates.
Brighton, previously woefully flat, sprang to life. David Raya was forced into a magnificent fingertip save to deny Yankuba Minteh an equaliser, and the visitors missed further chances to level the score. The assured performance of the first hour gave way to a tense and fragmented finale, raising familiar questions about Arsenal's ability to kill games when leading comfortably.
Arteta's Selection Headaches and Brighton's Response
The match was preceded by significant disruption for Arteta, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori both ruled out through injury shortly before kick-off. This prompted the deployment of Rice in defence and a first Premier League start of the season for young Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler responded by switching to a back three, but his wing-backs were largely pinned back by Arsenal's relentless pressure. The Seagulls' first meaningful attack did not arrive until after they had conceded the second goal, but once they scored, they sensed vulnerability.
Ultimately, Arsenal ground out the three points, a vital skill in any title challenge. Yet with Manchester City in relentless pursuit, Arteta will be aware that his team must rediscover the ruthless streak to close out games without inviting pressure. For now, the combination of their own quality and opposition errors is just about keeping them on track.
