Arsenal Edge Brighton 1-0 As Saka Strike Sends Gunners Seven Points Clear
Arsenal battled through a tense and chaotic night at the Amex Stadium to edge past Brighton & Hove Albion and move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
Despite being second best for large spells, Mikel Arteta’s side made their early opportunity count. Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock in the ninth minute when his low effort took a decisive deflection off Carlos Baleba, wrong-footing goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen as the ball slipped through his legs.
The visitors had earlier escaped a nightmare start. Goalkeeper David Raya gifted possession to Baleba inside the opening seconds, but the Brighton midfielder failed to capitalise, producing a weak chip that allowed Gabriel to scramble back and clear off the line.
Brighton dominated large parts of the contest and piled pressure on Arsenal’s defence. Their frustration grew just before the hour mark when Raya saved from Georginio Rutter and remained on the turf receiving treatment, sparking anger among the home supporters who felt the visitors were deliberately slowing the game down.
The Seagulls came closest to an equaliser when Mats Wieffer found himself unmarked from close range, only to head straight at Raya. That miss proved costly.
As the game wore on, Brighton’s intensity dipped, allowing Arsenal to grind out a hard-fought and scrappy victory. The result was made even sweeter for the Gunners after Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Nottingham Forest, giving Arsenal breathing space in the title race.
