Won 3-0 against Brighton in round 32 of the Premier League on April 6, Arsenal was temporarily one point ahead of Liverpool and Man City.
The match was expected to be difficult for Arsenal, as Brighton is unbeaten in its last 12 home matches. In fact, the first half hour for Mikel Arteta’s students was not easy. But after Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from a penalty kick, everything was completely under the “Gunners'” control.
Both teams had clear opportunities in the first half of the first half. After Gabriel Magalhaes missed a header at the beginning of the match, Brighton’s Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder also had shots in response. The turning point came in the 33rd minute, when Saka took advantage of the penalty scored by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian striker was previously fouled by Tariq Lamptey in the penalty area after a technical dribble.
The tense nature of the championship race with Liverpool and Man City means that any match with Arsenal at the end of the season is a match where a draw is not allowed. Therefore, Saka’s opening goal had great significance. It helps the away team’s legs become more comfortable for the rest of the match.
Kai Havertz continues to show high performance when playing highest in attack. After almost punishing Lewis Dunk’s mistake at the end of the first half, the German striker scored at the beginning of the second half. From Martin Odegaard’s pass to the wing, Jorginho ran down and crossed for Havertz to tap into the empty net, increasing the score to 2-0.
Two former Brighton players both played well for Arsenal in this match. Ben White kept a clean sheet in his 100th Premier League match, and Leandro Trossard shined after coming on as a substitute. Not long after the dangerous shot that made the Brighton goalkeeper show off his talent, Trossard scored the winning goal 3-0, from a quick counterattack after Havertz’s pass.
Three points help Arsenal temporarily lead with 71 points, one point more than Liverpool and Man City. Arteta’s teachers and students will keep the top of the table if Liverpool does not win at Man Utd Stadium today, April 7. In the middle of next week, Arsenal will host Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, at Emirates home stadium.