Arsenal have risen back to the top of the Premier League table for at least a couple of hours courtesy of a 2-0 win over a lacklustre Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium.
In a match that was one-way traffic from the first minute, Mikel Arteta’s men were their own worst enemies in a goalless first half, but a Gabriel Jesus header and calm Kai Havertz finish in the second 45 ensured that the Gunners would not be left to bemoan their earlier glut of missed chances.
With Bukayo Saka terrorising makeshift left-back James Milner early doors, Arsenal exploded out of the blocks in North London, and the winger had the first sighter of the match in the 12th minute, but his low effort was comfortable for Bart Verbruggen.
Three minutes later, Martin Odegaard – another player who looked fired-up for the occasion – dragged a curling effort a whisker wide of the post in the 15th minute, four moments before Jesus also gave Verbruggen some catching practice from distance.
An enforced defensive change would have been the last thing that the beleaguered Seagulls needed, but Joel Veltman had to call it a day in the 27th minute to be replaced by Jack Hinshelwood, who quickly found himself on the back foot alongside the rest of his teammates.
Another delightful pass from Odegaard in the 32nd minute picked out the run of Saka, who would seemingly tee up Gabriel Martinelli for the game’s opening goal, but the Brazilian fired over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Martinelli sought to make amends from a tight angle seven minutes later, but Verbruggen was equal to his effort before the customary Mikel Arteta booking; the Arsenal boss reacted to a Kaoru Mitoma pull on Saka too angrily for Tim Robinson’s liking.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men managed to get to half time with their clean sheet intact, thanks mainly to Arsenal’s appalling finishing rather than any diligent defensive work, akin to the Gunners’ wastefulness throughout their loss to Aston Villa last weekend.
However, Arsenal ensured that they would not live to regret their first-half profligacy just eight minutes into the second period, as an inswinging Saka corner was flicked on by Jan Paul van Hecke to the back post, where an unmarked Jesus was afforded all time and space on the pitch to head home into an empty net.
The Seagulls could only muster a meek response to Arsenal’s deserved opener, as substitute Hinshelwood headed straight at David Raya in the 64th minute – Brighton’s first shot of the match – four minutes before Lewis Dunk denied Ben White with a crucial header off the line.
Another two chances in the space of two minutes came and went for the Gunners, as Verbruggen palmed an Odegaard drive away in the 74th minute, mere seconds before Havertz headed over the bar from a Martinelli cross.
Pascal Gross sought to make the hosts pay for their lack of ruthlessness in the 82nd minute, but the German could only shoot wide of Raya’s goal from a Mitoma cutback before attempting to turn provider for Hinshelwood in the 86th minute, only to see the teenager also miss the target with his header.
Just as De Zerbi’s side may have started to unearth a small slice of hope, Arsenal belatedly wrapped the game up in the 87th minute, as Odegaard released Eddie Nketiah into acres of space in the middle of the park, and the Englishman played a crisp through ball into Havertz, who delicately lifted the ball over the onrushing Verbruggen and into the bottom corner.
Substitute Emile Smith Rowe was denied a long-awaited goal by Verbruggen in added time, but it was a minor blot on the notebook for Arsenal, who now lead Liverpool by two points ahead of the Reds’ showdown with Manchester United.
Arsenal’s final pre-Christmas fixture sees the Gunners head to Anfield for a daunting date with title rivals Liverpool in six days’ time, while Brighton – who drop to ninth place after seeing their 32-game scoring run in the Premier League come to an end – meet historic rivals Crystal Palace on Thursday evening.
