IT'S BUK TO THE TOP!
| Published date | 07 April 2024 |
| Publication title | Daily Star (England) |
¦ Brighton have now won just three of their 19 Premier League matches kicking offat 5.30pm on a Saturday (D7 L8).
ARSENAL are back on top of the Premier League and the professional manner in which they dispatched Brighton suggests the mental toll of a title race is not yet being felt.
Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz put Mikel Arteta's team in control on a damp south coast evening before substitute Leandro Trossard added the third against his former club late on.
And after Albion's 3-0 win at The Emirates a year ago put paid to Arsenal's title hopes then, this was a performance that showed how much they have matured in the past 11 months.
Arteta's side have had easier games and keeper David Raya was called into action several times in an end-to-end opening - not least for a superb stop at full stretch to keep out Julio Enciso.
But there was no looking back once Saka scored from the penalty spot after Tariq Lamptey fouled Gabriel Jesus with half-an-hour played.
The Brighton full-back grazed the ball before connecting with Jesus' leg but it was late, clumsy and a clear foul. Following some home complaints and a
VAR check to confirm, Saka drilled ruthlessly into the bottom left corner.
The opener arrived just as Arsenal's early momentum appeared to be slowing after a ferocious start.
Gabriel inexplicably headed wide with only 63 seconds on the clock, while Saka should have found the target when played in by Ben White.
Jesus was then denied by Bart Verbruggen and headed a Havertz cross past the face of goal.
All that occurred inside 15 minutes but Brighton began to enjoy their fair share of threatening bursts forward, with Lamptey and Simon Adingra finding success on the right.
Pascal Gross and Carlos Baleba performed well, though Roberto de Zerbi's team again lacked the cutting edge to reflect their share of possession.
That said, once Saka struck Arsenal began to look more assured and some of their passing moves were a joy to behold.
And the pressure eventually produced a second goal in the 62nd minute.
While the excellent Havertz finished it off, plenty of credit should go to Jorginho. Having laid the ball off to White, who then passed to Martin Odegaard, the midfielder embarked on a rare overlap...
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