Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Brighton, but the win was overshadowed by a deepening defensive injury crisis. Mikel Arteta's side started the match a point behind Manchester City, but goals from Martin Odegaard and an own goal from Georginio Rutter secured the three points, despite a late scare from Brighton.
Riccardo Calafiori became the latest casualty, sustaining an injury in the warm-up, joining Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera on the sidelines. Declan Rice was forced to play as an emergency right-back, while Gabriel returned from a six-week absence as a second-half substitute.
Arsenal took the lead after 14 minutes when Odegaard fired home his first goal of the season. The lead was doubled shortly after the break when Rutter headed a corner into his own net. Brighton pulled one back through Diego Gomez, but David Raya's fine save from Yankuba Minteh proved crucial.
The win puts Arsenal two points clear of Manchester City before their next match against Aston Villa. Brighton, who have taken just two points from a possible 15, slipped to 12th.
