Arsenal’s reputation as the antagonists of the title race deepened on a tense night at the Amex, yet their combative 1-0 victory over Brighton may be the sort of result that ultimately wins championships. Bukayo Saka’s early strike in the ninth minute — a routine effort that took a deflection off Carlos Baleba and beat Bart Verbruggen — proved enough for the Gunners, who stretched their lead at the top to seven points.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, who had warned beforehand about time-wasting, felt vindicated by a stop-start contest dominated by interruptions. He questioned the approach on show and urged referees and the league to set clearer limits on delays. Mikel Arteta shrugged off the criticism, responding with a dry “what a surprise” before praising his squad’s attitude and insisting his team focus on themselves.
On the surface it was a textbook example of winning ugly. By half-time Arsenal’s expected goals (xG) stood at just 0.01, and they managed only a late second shot on target when Kai Havertz tested Verbruggen in the 88th minute. It marked the tenth narrow one-goal success of their season, victories earned through dogged defending, set-piece danger and gritty game
