Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League in emphatic fashion as they thumped Brighton 3-0 at the Amex on Saturday night.
Having seen Manchester City move above them earlier in the day following their 4-2 win at Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta’s side knew they needed to respond on the south coast. And they did that in style, cruising past a Brighton side who hadn’t lost at home in the league since September.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half before the excellent Kai Havertz doubled the visitors’ advantage after the interval. Leandro Trossard then wrapped things up late on, finishing well from Havertz’s pass to seal a dominant win..jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
Goalkeeper & Defence
David Raya (8/10):
Made one stunning save to deny Enciso in the first half. Couple of misplaced passes early on, but a really strong performance all round.
Ben White (7/10):
Great battle with Julio Enciso. Enjoyed some good moments going forward, including one superb pass to set up a chance for Saka, but was given problems by the lively Brighton winger.
William Saliba (8/10):
Strong showing once again. Really calm in his own box as he looked to play away from danger.
Gabriel Magalhaes (8/10):
Should have scored early on with a header. Took a knock to his ankle, but still had a strong night against Danny Welbeck. Superb block late on to protect the clean sheet.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):
Struggled in the early stages, but grew into the game as it wore on. Linked up well with Gabriel Jesus at times.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
Midfield
Jorginho (7/10):
Struggled at times when Brighton isolated him after playing through the press in the first half, but used his experience well. Superb play to set up the second goal for Havertz.
Declan Rice (8/10):
Good battle in midfield. Had to chase back a lot when Brighton found a way through the press. Covered a lot of distance. Almost scored right at the end.
Martin Odegaard (8/10):
Class once again. His quick feet and vision make him a joy to watch. Brilliant ball for Jorginho to help set up the second goal.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
Attack
Bukayo Saka (6/10):
Stayed calm to score from the spot in the first half. Had put a golden chance wide before that.
Kai Havertz (9/10):
Was a handful for the Brighton defence all evening. Ran tirelessly and was rewarded with the second goal, which he finished well after a good run across the defender. Lovely assist for Trossard’s late strike as well. Excellent performance.
Gabriel Jesus (7/10):
Did a good job out on the left. Won the penalty with a superb touch and drop of the shoulder. Unlucky with one good effort in the first half which was well saved, but should have done better with a couple of headers.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
Subs & Manager
Leandro Trossard (7/10):
Marked his return to his former club with a lovely goal to make it 3-0 late on.
Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):
Never really got into the game as Arsenal sat back and protected their lead.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (5/10):
Helped Arsenal see the game out.
Fabio Vieira (N/A):
On for the final few minutes.
Eddie Nketiah (N/A):
Got the last few minutes having replaced Havertz.
Mikel Arteta (8/10):
A near perfect night for the Arsenal manager. His subs made a difference at the right time in the second half and the win sets things up perfectly ahead of the huge Champions League first-leg clash with Bayern Munich on April 9.
