Arsenal v Brighton live: Injury-hit Gunners cling on for vital Premier League win to go top
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton: A Martin Odegaard strike and an own goal helped Mikel Arteta’s Gunners move back to the top of the pile in the Premier League
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard’s first club goal of the season helped his side beat Brighton 2-1 to return to the top of the Premier League table.
For the second week running, Arsenal kicked off having been displaced by Manchester City, who beat Nottingham Forest earlier in the day, and they responded once again to the challenge.
Odegaard’s season has been disrupted by a knee injury but he showed trademark precision in the 14th minute to drive a left-footed shot low past Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen. Arsenal were totally dominant and doubled their lead with a Georginio Rutter own goal in the 52nd minute.
Brighton had offered next to nothing as an attacking force until Diego Gomez slammed in a rebound on 64 minutes after Yasin Ayari’s shot came back off the post and would have equalised had Arsenal keeper David Raya not produced a stunning save to keep out Yankuba Minteh’s curling effort. It was a nervy finish but the Gunners held on to climb back top.
Relive all the action with our live blog below:
Martin Odegaard: 'You need to win in different ways'
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard scored one of the two goals today and helped drive the Gunners on as they climbed back top of the Premier League.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, he said: “It was a tough one in the end but I think we played a good game. We were dominant from the start, they got a bit of momentum towards the end but we got an important three points.
“I think we played really good, controlled the game but we could have done better and not let them score like they did. They got the momentum when they got the goal, got belief back, but we did well to defend.
On David Raya's save: “I think that was the only big chance they had apart from the goal, it was a great save.
On scoring: “I've been waiting for that one, I've been working on my finishing a lot in training so I'm happy.
"The last few games have been [close], but you have to be able to win in different ways. We need to keep going, keep building and keep getting the wins."
David Raya preserves the points
This might have been the key moment of the match. David Raya pulling off a remarkable, fingertip save from Yankuba Minteh to keep it at 2-1. Brilliant by the Spaniard
Arsenal back top of the table
So that win moves Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League table - they jump back above Man City on to 42 points, with Pep Guardiola’s men on 40.
Aston Villa, with a game in hand, are in third on 36. Mikel Artet’as side travel to face Villa on Tuesday in a huge clash.
FULL-TIME! Arsenal 2-1 Brighton
AND IT’S ALL OVER! Arsenal were brilliant to go 2-0 up through Martin Odegaard and an own goal, then it went to 2-1 thanks to Diego Gomez and things got nervy but they saw things out at the end and it’s another three points on the board!
The Gunners go back to the top of the Premier League and keep on rolling. Heading into a HUGE clash with Aston Villa on a three-game winning run
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 90+3 mins
A lung-busting run down the right by Rice. How has he still got the energy? All the way to the byline but his cutback to Saka is blocked. Jesus then takes the ball into the corner.
Brighton throw men forward and are nearly caught out again, Martinelli flicks a header on and Saka looks clean through but Dunk somehow gets back and lunges in a block for a corner. Superb defending!
If Saka had scored VAR may have said he was just offside but we’ll never know. It’s all down the right end, from Arsenal’s point of view, anyway
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 90+1 mins
Appeals for a penalty from Arsenal as Kadioglu barges Jesus in the back trying to get on the end of a cross. Nothing doing says the ref and VAR agrees.
Just a corner, which comes to nothing.
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 89 mins
Arsenal trying to take the life out of the gap now and, to that end, Hincapie ponders a throw-in and is given a yellow card for time-wasting.
We’re now into five minutes of injury-time, not long for Brighton to get back in it now.
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 87 mins
Now Jesus does really well to work some space in the box but delays his shot for a second and Van Hecke gets a lunging block in.
Brighton with a couple of final changes to try and snatch an equaliser. Charalampos Kostoulas and Tommy Watson, two young guns, on for Gomez and Coppola
MISS! Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 85 mins
A glorious chance to finish it for Arsenal - spurned! Saka away down the right, it’s a superb low ball intot he box and Martinelli runs on to it six yards out but balloons it over the bar.
Golden, golden chance. Will they rue it?
Arsenal 2-1 Brighton, 83 mins
Indeed, Martinelli is on for Trossard and immediately involved. He fizzes a ball into the box and Brighton have to scramble away.
It’s then great work by Jesus, who has looked lively since coming on, holding up the ball, bringing others in and Arsenal win the corner.
Saka plays it to the back post, Saka back into the danger zone but the Seagulls survive.
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