Arsenal ground out a 1-0 win at Brighton to capitalise on Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest and move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Bukayo Saka’s ninth-minute strike, which squirmed past Bart Verbruggen after taking a touch off Carlos Baleba, proved decisive in a scrappy, fractious encounter on the south coast. It was one of only two Arsenal shots on target as the visitors laboured in possession but defended resolutely.
Brighton dominated possession with 60% and had the better of the game for long periods, but the hosts could not break down an Arsenal backline led by Gabriel and Piero Hincapie (William Saliba was absent through injury). Brighton’s best early chance came inside two minutes when Gabriel cleared Baleba’s chipped effort off the line after a misplaced pass from David Raya. Georginio Rutter later forced a good save from Raya, but overall Brighton’s 11 shots produced just 0.8 expected goals, per Opta.
The match grew increasingly stop-start, with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler accusing Arsenal of time-wasting involving goalkeeper David Raya, who received treatment on three occasions. “I love the effort from my boys… I think there was only one team who tried to play football today,” Hurzeler said, adding he had raised the issue pre-match and felt the Premier League needed to address it.
Mikel Arteta responded tersely: “What a surprise.” He praised his players, saying, “I love my players. That’s the highlight. I love the way we compete.” When asked if he cared about other managers’ comments he replied: “Care? Yeah. Depends.”
Arsenal had a late chance to ease the tension when substitute Kai Havertz saw a diagonal effort saved by Verbruggen, and the visitors had to withstand a nervy finale. The final whistle — and confirmation of Manchester City’s draw — sparked wild celebrations from the travelling Arsenal fans, who sang about winning the title as their side opened a seven-point gap, albeit having played a game more.
Player ratings
Brighton: Verbruggen (6), Wieffer (7), Boscagli (6), Van Hecke (7), Kadioglu (7), Baleba (6), Gross (6), Hinshelwood (6), Gomez (6), Rutter (6), Mitoma (6)
Subs: Minteh (7), Welbeck (6), Howell (6), Veltman (6), Ayari (6)
Arsenal: Raya (8), Timber (8), Mosquera (7), Gabriel (9), Hincapie (8), Zubimendi (6), Rice (7), Eze (6), Saka (6), Gyokeres (5), Martinelli (6)
Subs: Havertz (6), Trossard (6), Calafiori (6), Norgaard (6)
Player of the Match: Gabriel Magalhaes
Analysis
Hurzeler’s complaints will dominate the immediate fallout. Having taken an early lead, Arsenal disrupted the flow of the game, which aggravated the home crowd and their manager. The stop-start nature of the contest suited the visitors more than Brighton, who — despite control of the ball — lacked the quality in the final third to convert possession into clear chances.
Statistically, Brighton’s dominance produced limited threat: their 11 shots were worth just 0.8 xG. Arsenal’s defensive organisation and individual performances, notably Gabriel’s, were decisive in preserving the narrow lead.
Opta stats
– Arsenal’s 10th Premier League victory by a one-goal margin this season, their most after 30 games since 2011/12 (10).
– Only in 2003/04 have they had more one-goal wins at this stage (12).
– Arsenal had just seven shots against Brighton, only fewer in a game this season was five (vs Chelsea, League Cup).
– The Gunners’ xG tonight was 0.43, their lowest in a match across all competitions in 2025/26.
– Arsenal completed 70.9% of their passes, their lowest Premier League completion rate since August 2021 vs Manchester City (67.6%).
What it means
A gritty, unpopular win for Arsenal that extended their lead at the top and underlined their ability to grind out results even when not at their best. Brighton will rue missed opportunities and an inability to turn possession into decisive chances.