December 28, (THEWILL) — Arsenal reclaimed the English Premier League summit with a 2-1 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium, responding immediately to Manchester City’s earlier win. The triumph marked the Gunners’ sixth consecutive home league victory and their third straight one-goal win in the competition.
Captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring inside 15 minutes, capitalising on a poor clearance from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Declan Rice, operating at right-back, headed the ball to Bukayo Saka, who laid it off for Odegaard to strike from the edge of the area and register his first goal of the campaign. The second arrived shortly after half-time when Georginio Rutter diverted a Rice corner into his own net under pressure from Arsenal’s dangerous set-piece delivery.
Brighton reduced the deficit when Diego Gomez converted after Yasin Ayari’s shot struck the post with more than 25 minutes remaining. The Paraguay midfielder’s quick reaction gave Fabian Hurzeler’s side hope of salvaging something from a largely disappointing performance at the Emirates.
David Raya proved crucial in preserving the lead, producing a full-stretch fingertip save to deny Yankuba Minteh’s curling attempt in the closing stages. The Spanish goalkeeper’s 150th Premier League appearance proved memorable for his match-winning contribution during Brighton’s late surge.
The result dropped Brighton to 12th position and extended their winless streak to five matches across all competitions. Mikel Arteta’s side maintained their unbeaten home record while continuing their push for the title with another narrow but vital victory.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
