Arsenal beat Brighton 4-2 in an entertaining game at the Amex Stadium on the last day of the year on Saturday night.
The win meant the Gunners started the new year with a 7-point lead at the top of the table over reigning champions Manchester City, who were occupied by Everton at home earlier in the evening.
Arsenal broke to an early lead
Bukayo Saka put the Gunners ahead in the second minute after deftly controlling the ball in the penalty area and then finishing with aplomb.
Arsenal could have been 3-0 up inside the first 7 minutes if Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez hadn’t prevented Oleksandr Zinchenko and then Eddie Nketiah from firing wide from just 12 yards.
Brighton eventually settled into the game with sustained possession, but barely tested Aaron Ramsdale in the opposing goal.
Martin Odegaard gave the visitors a 2-0 lead in the 39th minute despite missing his shot after a corner, but the ball hit the ground and then bounced over everyone in the penalty area to hit the back of the grid.
Nketiah made it 3-0 two minutes after the restart when Thomas Partey found Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank, who sent a low cross into the penalty area.
The ball grazed Sánchez, who couldn’t contain himself, and Nketiah reacted more quickly to put the ball into the empty net.
Brighton, however, took their stride in the game and were rewarded with an own goal on 65 minutes after Kaoru Mitouma hit a wonderful forehand drive past Ramsdale after being set up by Pascal Gross following a wonderful interplay between the locals.
However, any hope of a comeback for the hosts was soon dashed six minutes later when Odegaard played in an astonishing through ball to put Martinelli on target and the Brazilian had luck on his side when his shot went straight through. de Sánchez in the empty net of Brighton. .
Teenager Evan Ferguson scored his first league goal for the home team to reduce the deficit and set up the last 10 minutes for Mikle Arteta’s men. Mitoma scored again in the 89th minute, but was ruled out by VAR after replays showed the winger’s heel was offside in the build-up to the goal.
Arsenal held on for six minutes of added time to earn another impressive victory and the London outfit sits at the top of the standings with 43 points from 16 games.
The Gunners host third place Newcastle next Tuesday night, while Brighton travel to Merseyside to face Everton later that evening.
Photo Credit: IMAGO/PA Images
