Table-Topping Arsenal Move Seven Points Clear Of Man City
01 January, 2023
Arsenal will enter the new year seven points ahead of Manchester City after defeating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday night.
Premier League
Result: Brighton and Hove Albion 2-4 Arsenal
Date: 31 December 2022
Venue: AMEX Stadium
The Gunners made only one change from their win over West Ham United, as Oleksandr Zinchenko was recalled with the attack led by Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka. Brighton, meanwhile, were still without World Cup winner with Argentina Alexis Mac Allister.
Mikel Arteta's charges were ahead within the first two minutes after Saka profited from a deflection unmarked at the back post and coolly slotted home the opener.
The Seagulls were giving as much as they got and Leandro Trossard almost pulled them level on 16 minutes with a diagonal shot that was tipped around
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the post at full stretch by goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. The game was getting tight after that though, with the sides cancelling each other out and it took a moment of brilliance and quality from Martin Odegaard just before the interval to double the lead for Arsenal with a looping shot from a rebound in the box.The Gunners could not ask for a better start in the second stanza as Nketiah gave them a 3-0 lead two minutes in with a close-range tap-in after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez parried Martinelli's shot on his path at the near post.
Roberto De Zerbi's men did not drop their heads, as they attacked with intensity and Kaoru Mitoma pulled a goal back for them on 65 minutes with a side-footed finish after a through ball by Pascal Gross.
Arsenal, however, had spaces on counter-attacks and Martinelli restored their three-goal cushion six minutes later with a low strike at near post past Sanchez after a long through ball by Martinelli.
The game stretched from end to end as Evan Ferguson got a second goal back for Brighton with 13 minutes left after a mistake by William Saliba led to him going through on goal and lifted a shot over Ramsdale and into the back of the net.
The Seagulls remained a threat going forward and Arteta made a defensive change in the dying minutes to lock the game, as Rob Holding replaced Odegaard.
However, Arsenal could not get away from their box and Mitoma gave them a big scare after finding the back of the net for the home side with a low curling shot in the box but the goal was chalked off by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a marginal offside in the build-up.
The VAR review gave the Gunners time to reorganise themselves at the back and catch some breath and although Brighton were still threatening, they managed to hold on to pull seven points clear ahead of second-placed Manchester City at the top of the standings.
Source: www.snl24.com