Another own goal and more nerves but grit and Raya wondersave send Arsenal back to top
SILVER SERVICE: Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres (left), and Declan Rice celebrate their side's second goal of the game, an own goal scored by Brighton and Hove Albion's Georginio Rutter (not pictured) during the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire
Another narrow, nervy win with the help of an own goal kept Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table as they responded well to title rivals Manchester City winning earlier in the day.
Arsenal had won just three of their eight Premier League home games against Brighton, so seasoned watchers here in north London were not expecting a smooth ride.
Those fears were heightened when right-back Jurrien Timber was left out of the squad due to injury and left-back Riccardo Calafiori sustained a knock in the pre-match warm-up to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Declan Rice, arguably the best midfielder in the country this season, started as an emergency replacement for Timber.
Viktor Gyokeres had a chance to ease the tension after only two minutes but scuffed a shot straight at Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen from the edge of the area. Arsenal were otherwise playing without fear and dominated.
That said, it took a classy 14th-minute finish from captain Martin Odegaard to really take the pressure off when he drilled in a low left-foot shot after good work from Bukayo Saka on the right wing.
Odegaard was back to something like his best form after scoring his first goal of the season . He combined well with Saka, both ably supported by Rice who took to his new role like a natural.
Consistently off the pace, referee John Brooks made a big call to keep the game competitive just before half-time when he spared Verbruggen a red card after he dashed out of his area to hack down Gyokeres in a cynical challenge.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler made a couple of changes at half-time to try and get his side back in the game and they looked more threatening, briefly.
Rice curled in one of his fizzing near-post corners, in the 52nd minute, and Georginio Rutter glanced a header into his own net so precisely it was almost as if he meant it. The French forward is not the first Arsenal opponent to wilt under pressure as his own goal marked the fourth in Arsenal’s favour in their last three fixtures here.
Gyokeres slammed a thunderous shot against a Brighton post soon after as Arsenal seemed to be cruising towards a crucial victory.
The calm threatened to switch to panic in the 64th minute when Diego Gomez shot in a rebound after Yasin Ayari’s shot came back off a post. Game on with the best part of half an hour to play.
Once again Arsenal looked vulnerable as they sat too deep and it took goalkeeper David Raya’s latest entry for save of the season to deny Yankuba Minteh an equaliser.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta responded by making a double Gabriel substitution with striker Jesus and defender Magalhaes, back for his first game since November, replacing Gyokeres and Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal had three Gabriels on the pitch when Martinelli also came off the bench, only to lift a potential match-winner over the bar when he could and should have scored.
Raya 6, Rice 8, Saliba 7, Hincapie 6, Lewis-Skelly 6 (Magalhaes 71), Merino 6, Zubimendi 6, Odegaard 7, Saka 7, Trossard 6 (Martinelli 82), Gyokeres 6 (Jesus 71). Subs: Arrizabalaga, Eze, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Salmon
Verbruggen 5, Dunk 6, van Hecke 6, Coppola 6 (Watson 87), Hinshelwood 5 (Welbeck 75), Gruda 5 (Minteh 46), Ayari 6, De Cuyper 5 (Wiefer 46), Gomez 6 (Kostoulas 87), Kadioglu 6, Rutter 6. Subs: Steele, ,Milner, Boscagli, , Veltman
John Brook 3
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