Arsenal 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 1
Brighton and Hove Albion’s dismal December continued at the Emirates as Arsenal stretched the Seagulls’ winless run to five games.
The result took Mikel Arteta’s side back to the top of the Premier League table despite a nervy performance, with an opener from Martin Odegaard and an own goal by Georginio Rutter.
Diego Gomez pulled one back for Brighton on 64 minutes to set up a tense final half hour this afternoon (Saturday 27 December).
The Gunners started their penultimate match of the year a point behind Manchester City after their lunchtime win at Nottingham Forest today.
The Londoners went ahead after just 14 minutes when Odegaard fired home his first goal of the season.
Rutter then headed Declan Rice’s corner into his own net after 52 minutes only for the Seagulls to haul themselves back into the contest when Gomez lashed home shortly after the hour.
David Raya then produced a fine diving save to deny Yankuba Minteh with 15 minutes left in what could prove a pivotal stop in Arsenal’s push for a first league title in two decades.
The win takes Arsenal two points clear of City before they round off the calendar year with a fixture at home to third-placed Aston Villa on Tuesday (30 December).
The misery continues for Brighton, though, having taken just two points from a possible 15 this month. They have now slipped to 12th in the table.
On a sour note for Arteta, his defensive problems mounted up prior to kick-off when Riccardo Calafiori sustained an injury in the warm-up.
Both Jurrien Timber and former Seagull Ben White were absent today, with Rice largely impressing as an emergency right-back, while Cristhian Mosquera was also missing.
Gabriel, who has been sidelined since Saturday 8 November, made his return as a second-half substitute.
City’s lunchtime win at Nottingham Forest meant the pressure was on an Arsenal side that have finished runners-up in the league for the past three seasons.
They started well and Viktor Gyokeres should have done better when he side-footed at Bart Verbruggen inside two minutes before Bukayo Saka ghosted past Maxim de Cuyper only to find Verbruggen equal to his close-range effort.
Saka then blazed over and, from the ensuing goal kick, came the opener. Martin Zubimendi reacted first to Verbruggen’s hospital pass and Rice’s header found Saka, who played the ball to Odegaard.
The Arsenal captain was afforded too much room, taking one touch to compose himself, before firing a low left-footed strike that nestled into the bottom corner.
Half-chances for Saka and Rice followed on two occasions and Verbruggen then turned away Zubimendi’s neat back-heel following a goalmouth scramble.
Verbruggen was in the spotlight on the stroke of half-time when he clattered Gyokeres on the far touchline but he escaped with a caution and Brighton managed to keep the deficit to one at the interval.
But less than seven minutes of the second half had been played when the hosts doubled their advantage through an own goal from Rutter whose near-post header left Verbruggen with no chance.
It marked another goal from a corner and a fourth own goal across three home games that Arsenal have been able to cash in on.
On the hour, Gyokeres had a shot blocked by Verbruggen – the Sweden international’s wait for a goal in open play extending to seven matches – but Arsenal looked in cruise control.
That was until Yasin Ayari’s shot hit Raya’s far post and Gomez fired home the rebound. A flying fingertip stop from Raya then kept out Minteh’s curling effort with the home support suddenly riddled by anxiety.
Arsenal have made a habit of conceding late goals in recent times and Arteta was on his knees when substitute Gabriel Martinelli managed to hit a six-yard shot over the bar with five minutes to go.
But the Spaniard’s side managed to get three crucial points over the line to keep Pep Guardiola’s in-form City at arm’s length.
