Arsenal shut out Brighton to move top of PL

Arsenal kept a fifth consecutive away clean sheet as goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard earned a 3-0 victory at Brighton to move them top of the Premier League.

Manchester City had moved above the Gunners and level on points with Liverpool with a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime, but Mikel Arteta’s side responded with a superb performance to hit the summit.

Arsenal’s rock-solid defence had made a shaky start on the south coast before Saka kept his cool from the penalty spot with VAR not overturning the decision after Tariq Lamptey appeared to touch the ball before bringing down Gabriel Jesus.

The hosts were unbeaten in their last 12 home league matches and started to turn the screw in the second half as Arsenal began to lose control until the in-form Havertz tapped in his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

Trossard added further punishment for Brighton, scoring a late third against his former club with a deft chip to make sure Arsenal would move a point clear at the top.

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Player ratings:

Brighton: Verbruggen (7), Lamptey (5), Van Hecke (5), Dunk (5), Estupinan (5), Gross (6), Baleba (6), Moder (6), Enciso (7), Adingra (6), Welbeck (6).

Subs: Buonanotte (6), Pedro (6), Fati (6).

Arsenal: Raya (7), White (7), Saliba (7), Gabriel (7), Zinchenko (5), Odegaard (7), Rice (7), Jorginho (7), Saka (7), Havertz (8), Jesus (7).

Subs: Trossard (7), Martinelli (6), Tomiyasu (6), Nketiah (n/a), Vieira (n/a).

Player of the Match: Kai Havertz

How Arsenal swept past Brighton

Image:
Kai Havertz and his Arsenal team-mates celebrate after going 2-0 up at Brighton

Arsenal should have led inside two minutes when the unmarked Gabriel headed Martin Odegaard’s free-kick wide but Brighton could have been in front soon after as Julio Enciso fired over and Jakub Moder’s pop shot rolled past the left post.

Saka was the next to miss, bending wide from inside the box having easily drifted in behind Pervis Estupinan and then Bart Verbruggen flung to his left to deny Jesus.

Team news:

Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan, Julio Enciso, Jakub Moder and Danny Welbeck came into the Brighton team.
Joel Veltman, Igor Julio, Facundo Buonanotte, Adam Lallana and Joao Pedro dropped to the bench
Bukayo Saka started for Arsenal having missed the midweek victory at Luton due to a hamstring injury.
Declan Rice, Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus also returned to the starting XI as Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Leandro Trossard dropped to the bench while Reiss Nelson is not in the squad.

Arsenal had looked shaky early on with Simon Adingra blasting over when well-placed and Lamptey appealing for a penalty when he collided with David Raya in the box.

But the Gunners started to tighten up and drew a mistake from the hosts, Lamptey lunging towards Jesus and bringing down the striker, playing as a left winger, in the area. Saka silenced the home fans by tucking the spot kick into the bottom left corner.

There was still work for Raya to do before the break, though, sprawling high to his left to tip Enciso’s curler behind.

Image:
Kai Havertz doubles Arsenal’s lead at the Amex Stadium

Odegaard threatened early in the second half, forcing Verbruggen to tip over his powerful shot, but Arsenal were sloppy in posession and Brighton were building momentum until Havertz struck. Jorginho got in behind Brighton’s left and squared for the striker to tap in.

Trossard came on to boos from the Brighton fans who once adored him. He forced Verbruggen into a good low save and then raced clear before chipping the goalkeeper to seal victory.

Image:
Leandro Trossard celebrates scoring Arsenal’s third goal of the game

Opta Stats: Arsenal firing on all fronts

Arsenal currently have a goal difference of +51 in the Premier League; their highest in the competition since the final day of the 2004-05 season (also +51).Arsenal have kept five consecutive clean sheets away from home in the Premier League for the first time since April 1997 (5), while they’re the first side to do so in the competition since Manchester City in April 2022 (also a run of five).Since keeping consecutive clean sheets at home to Wolves and Manchester United in April/May last year, Brighton have only managed two clean sheets in their last 18 home matches in the Premier League.Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his most in a single campaign in the competition in nine fewer appearances (14 in 38 games in 2022-23).

Fantasy Premier League stats

FPL stats: Brighton vs Arsenal

Goals
Saka, Havertz, Trossard

Assists
Jesus, Jorginho, Havertz

Bonus points
Havertz (3pts), Saka (2pts), Jorginho (1pt)

Play Fantasy Premier League and see more stats here

What’s next?

Sunday 14th April 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

Brighton are back in action on Saturday as they travel to Burnley in the Premier League; kick-off 3pm.

Arsenal host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm.

They return to Premier League action on Sky Sports on April 14, taking on Aston Villa in the Premier League on Super Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm.