Brighton 0-3 Arsenal: Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard goals send Gunners top of Premier League

Report and free match highlights as Arsenal move top of the Premier League with victory at Brighton; Bukayo Saka scores first-half penalty after Tariq Lamptey brings down Gabriel Jesus; Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal's leading second half; Leandro Trossard adds late third against former club

Sunday 7 April 2024 07:13, UK

Arsenal kept a fifth consecutive away clean sheet as goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard earned a 3-0 victory at Brighton to move them top of the Premier League.

Manchester City had moved above the Gunners and level on points with Liverpool with a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime, but Mikel Arteta's side responded with a superb performance to hit the summit.

Arsenal's rock-solid defence had made a shaky start on the south coast before Saka kept his cool from the penalty spot with VAR not overturning the decision after Tariq Lamptey appeared to touch the ball before bringing down Gabriel Jesus.

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The hosts were unbeaten in their last 12 home league matches and started to turn the screw in the second half as Arsenal began to lose control until the in-form Havertz tapped in his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

Trossard added further punishment for Brighton, scoring a late third against his former club with a deft chip to make sure Arsenal would move a point clear at the top.

Player ratings:

Brighton: Verbruggen (7), Lamptey (5), Van Hecke (5), Dunk (5), Estupinan (5), Gross (6), Baleba (6), Moder (6), Enciso (7), Adingra (6), Welbeck (6).

Subs: Buonanotte (6), Pedro (6), Fati (6).

Arsenal: Raya (7), White (7), Saliba (7), Gabriel (7), Zinchenko (5), Odegaard (7), Rice (7), Jorginho (7), Saka (7), Havertz (8), Jesus (7).

Subs: Trossard (7), Martinelli (6), Tomiyasu (6), Nketiah (n/a), Vieira (n/a).

Player of the Match: Kai Havertz

How Arsenal swept past Brighton

Arsenal should have led inside two minutes when the unmarked Gabriel headed Martin Odegaard's free-kick wide but Brighton could have been in front soon after as Julio Enciso fired over and Jakub Moder's pop shot rolled past the left post.

Saka was the next to miss, bending wide from inside the box having easily drifted in behind Pervis Estupinan and then Bart Verbruggen flung to his left to deny Jesus.

Team news:

Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan, Julio Enciso, Jakub Moder and Danny Welbeck came into the Brighton team.
Joel Veltman, Igor Julio, Facundo Buonanotte, Adam Lallana and Joao Pedro dropped to the bench
Bukayo Saka started for Arsenal having missed the midweek victory at Luton due to a hamstring injury.
Declan Rice, Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus also returned to the starting XI as Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Leandro Trossard dropped to the bench while Reiss Nelson is not in the squad.

Arsenal had looked shaky early on with Simon Adingra blasting over when well-placed and Lamptey appealing for a penalty when he collided with David Raya in the box.

But the Gunners started to tighten up and drew a mistake from the hosts, Lamptey lunging towards Jesus and bringing down the striker, playing as a left winger, in the area. Saka silenced the home fans by tucking the spot kick into the bottom left corner.

There was still work for Raya to do before the break, though, sprawling high to his left to tip Enciso's curler behind.

Odegaard threatened early in the second half, forcing Verbruggen to tip over his powerful shot, but Arsenal were sloppy in posession and Brighton were building momentum until Havertz struck. Jorginho got in behind Brighton's left and squared for the striker to tap in.

Trossard came on to boos from the Brighton fans who once adored him. He forced Verbruggen into a good low save and then raced clear before chipping the goalkeeper to seal victory.

Arteta: We were outstanding

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports:

"Wow, really happy. They [Brighton] are a really good team, really well coached. They make life really difficult for you. But today, we were outstanding.

"We showed quality and with the ball we are really connected. We have purpose and clarity. Against a shape that was slightly different than what we expected. Without the ball we are so disciplined. We were really humble.

"They did something similar in Liverpool away, which they never do. We knew it could happen."

Smith: I'm so pleased for Havertz after boos

Sky Sports' Alan Smith:

"Havertz had his best game in an Arsenal shirt. I just think he looks so at home in that role he has been asked to play. He got himself a goal and his defensive work was excellent.

"So many eyebrows were raised when they spent £60m on him. They thought, 'we don't need that sort of player, we've got a few of those already'.

"Arteta saw the place that he wanted him to fill and he's worked on it. I'm so pleased for Havertz because at the start of the season he was missing chances and there were boos from the crowd. He kept on going and he is getting his rewards."

De Zerbi: It was a clear penalty

Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi told Sky Sports:

"The penalty was clear. It was good enough to decide this game. Until the second goal we were inside this game. Then it finished.

"Without a lot of important players, it was tough to create chances to score. We played a good game but without big chances to score.

"We played against Arsenal, they are top of the table. In this condition, we can lose against Arsenal at home. We are sorry for the fans but at this moment, it is tough to compete with Arsenal or Liverpool.

"Maybe we will not close the gap, I don't know. This gap to close with Liverpool and Arsenal, we are not in the condition to close this gap, especially with all our injured players."

Opta Stats: Arsenal firing on all fronts

Arsenal currently have a goal difference of +51 in the Premier League; their highest in the competition since the final day of the 2004-05 season (also +51).
Arsenal have kept five consecutive clean sheets away from home in the Premier League for the first time since April 1997 (5), while they're the first side to do so in the competition since Manchester City in April 2022 (also a run of five).
Since keeping consecutive clean sheets at home to Wolves and Manchester United in April/May last year, Brighton have only managed two clean sheets in their last 18 home matches in the Premier League.
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his most in a single campaign in the competition in nine fewer appearances (14 in 38 games in 2022-23).