Arsenal did not come to see the seaside. They were not here to make friends – which was just as well. It was purely about the points. Mission: Eyes On The Prize. They accomplished it and then some.
There were 78 minutes on the clock here when the travelling support got wind of Nottingham Forest’s equaliser at Manchester City. How they belted out their anthems at that point – about previous title-winning glories. The wait is close to an end. Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the table is now seven points, albeit they have played an extra game.
Bukayo Saka got the goal early on – it was a personal disaster for the Brighton goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen – and, thereafter, Arsenal did what they needed to do. Whatever they needed to do. Nobody manages a game quite like them. Or so the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, had suggested beforehand. Arsenal merely doubled down on their approach. It was not pretty. But with their defence holding aggressively firm, it was nevertheless beautiful for them.
It had been impossible to ignore Hürzeler’s pre-match comments, which he surely intended to set a tone. “When Arsenal has a corner and they are leading, sometimes they spend over one minute just to take it,” the Brighton manager said.
