Arsenal narrowly secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Emirates Stadium, a result that propelled them back to the summit of the Premier League table. Following Manchester City`s earlier lunchtime win, the pressure was firmly on Mikel Arteta`s squad as they maintain their intensive fight for the title.
The Gunners started the match brightly, despite the late nerves. Early chances fell to Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka, but both were denied by a vigilant Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal. The breakthrough eventually came following a defensive blunder by the visitors. After a poor clearance from Verbruggen, Declan Rice won the resulting header, setting up captain Martin Odegaard.
Odegaard expertly utilized the space afforded to him, taking a moment to compose himself before slotting a low, left-footed strike precisely into the bottom corner, putting Arsenal 1-0 up.
Arsenal continued to press throughout the remainder of the first half, but Verbruggen was kept busy, denying further efforts from Saka, Rice, and Martin Zubimendi. The goalkeeper then received only a caution for clattering Gyokeres near the touchline just before the break, allowing Brighton to keep the deficit at one goal going into halftime.
Less than seven minutes into the second half, the hosts doubled their advantage, scoring via a set-piece. The goal resulted from a near-post header, continuing Arsenal`s run of benefiting from defensive errors or deflections from corners in recent home games.
The game appeared to be under control until the hour mark, but anxiety soon crept back into the Emirates when Brighton pulled a goal back. Diego Gomez capitalized on a rebound after Yasin Ayari’s shot hit David Raya’s far post. Raya then made a crucial, spectacular fingertip save to keep out Yankuba Minteh’s curling effort, preventing what would have been a late equalizer.
Mikel Arteta was visibly stressed on the sidelines, particularly when substitute Gabriel Martinelli inexplicably missed a close-range shot late in the game. Despite the late tension, Arsenal held on for the three crucial points, keeping Pep Guardiola’s relentless City side at arm’s length. Raya’s critical save, coupled with the opening goal, proved decisive.
Speaking on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday following the victory, former Arsenal star Paul Merson singled out Martin Odegaard for specific praise, claiming the Norway international delivered his “best football match” for the Gunners “for a long time.”
Merson’s praise highlighted the significance of the playmaker’s return to form after what has been a challenging, stop-start campaign marked by injury issues. This goal was remarkable as it was Odegaard`s first across all competitions this season, despite having featured in 12 Premier League matches, totaling just 628 minutes.
His output metrics have noticeably dropped, registering only one league assist so far, a significant decrease compared to his eight assists last season. The captain has suffered from various setbacks, including a shoulder problem earlier in the campaign and an MCL injury sustained in October.
The £240,000-per-week star now appears to be nearing full fitness and peak performance. Arteta will be desperately hoping that Odegaard can maintain this impressive momentum and consistency as Arsenal head into the demanding schedule of 2026.
Rupert Fawcett
