Arsenal impresses in Brighton and takes a huge lead over Man City


Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 8:26 PM• Rian Rosendaal • Last update: 20:36

Arsenal have closed 2022 in a great way. The leader in the Premier League saw pursuers Manchester City and Newcastle United spill points on New Year’s Eve and made no mistake when visiting Brighton & Hove Albion: 2-4. The Gunners close the impressive first half of the season with 43 points, no less than seven more than number two and reigning champions Manchester City. For Arsenal, 22 rounds will follow in 2023 to make the title dream come true.

The start of the visit to Brighton could not have been better for Arsenal. In the second minute, a bet by Gabriel Martinelli came through two Brighton defenders to Bukayo Saka, who knew what to do with the golden opportunity from close range: 0-1. The attacker scored after 66 seconds, the visitors’ fastest away goal since May 2013, when Theo Walcott found the net after just twenty seconds. An excellent start for Arsenal, which in an attacking sense mainly gambled on the speed of Martinelli and Saka and the beautiful passes and overview of Martin Ødegaard shortly behind.

Ødegaard, who usually functions as a declarant, signed for the 0-2 five minutes before the break. After a deflected corner kick, the ball ended up with the Norwegian playmaker, who took a swing just inside the box and saw the ball bounce and bounce over a Brighton player into the goal. Despite the many possession, Brighton had little to say in the first half offensively, although Leandro Trossard was stopped twice by the alert Aaron Ramsdale. Arsenal also flew out of the starting blocks after the break, which quickly resulted in the 0-3. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez did not process a cross from Martinelli well from the left and Eddie Nketiah was quick to work the rebound into the empty goal. With that, the tension seemed to have disappeared, although Brighton did something back halfway through the second half.

A smart through ball from Pascal Gross was handled well by Kaoru Mitoma, who operated from the left, who skillfully let the ball disappear into the far corner: 1-3. There was another check by the VAR, but there was no offside. Arsenal were undeterred and restored the margin of three just minutes later. Ødegaard once again had a beautiful pass in store and it was the broken through Martinelli who signed for the 1-4. Sánchez saw the ball disappear through his legs into the goal. Once again it became clear how important Martinelli is with his speed and how much trouble defenders usually have with it.

Brighton, with Joël Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke sitting on the bench for ninety minutes, saved the honor thirteen minutes before the end. William Saliba unfortunately got the ball on his knee and then couldn’t prevent substitute Evan Ferguson outwitting Ramsdale with a lob: 2-4. The goal seemed to cause tension at Arsenal, especially when Brighton seemed to be 3-4 in the 89th minute. Mitoma hit the far corner, but the goal was canceled on the advice of the VAR. Shortly before, Ferguson was in an offside position. Lewis Dunk headed over from close range shortly afterwards, but Arsenal did not let it come in Brighton.

No. Team m W G v +/- Pnt
1 Arsenal 16 14 1 1 26 43
2 Manchester City 16 11 3 2 28 36
3 Newcastle United 17 9 7 1 21 34
4 Manchester United 16 10 2 4 4 32
5 Tottenham Hotspur 16 9 3 4 10 30
6 Liverpool 16 8 4 4 14 28
7 Fulham 17 7 4 6 2 25
8 Brighton & Hove Albion 16 7 3 6 4 24
9 Chelsea 15 7 3 5 2 24
10 Brentford 17 5 8 4 0 23
11 Crystal Palace 16 6 4 6 -4 22
12 Aston Villa 16 5 3 8 -8 18
13 Leicester City 17 5 2 10 -4 17
14 Leeds United 16 4 4 8 -6 16
15 AFC Bournemouth 17 4 4 9 -18 16
16 Everton 17 3 6 8 -7 15
17 West Ham United 17 4 2 11 -9 14
18 Wolverhampton W. 17 3 4 10 -16 13
19 Nottingham Forest 16 3 4 9 -22 13
20 Southampton 17 3 3 11 -17 12