Arsenal 2-1 Brighton: Player ratings as the Gunners claim a third successive Premier League win

Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League table as they withstood late pressure to record a 2-1 victory over Brighton.

Things bordered on disaster for Mikel Arteta before a ball had even been kicked: It began with news of Jurrien Timber being out of the matchday squad and culminated in a pre-match injury (of course) to his fellow fullback Riccardo Calafiori, the Italian then promptly replaced by Hale End’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.   

Despite that limbo, the Gunners got off to an atypically fast start and ought to have taken the lead on just two minutes. A misread from Lewis Dunk let Viktor Gyokeres in behind but the enigmatic striker, with the goal at his mercy, could only nudge a tame shot straight into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Yet the lead did come soon enough, and it marked a first goal of the campaign for Martin Odegaard. Good Arsenal pressure from a goal kick forced the turnover and the captain found himself in that O-zone he loves on the edge of the box, taking full advantage of the time and space afforded to fire his shot in at the near post.

Player ratings as Arsenal hold on to beat Brighton 2-1 in the Premier League

Bukayo Saka and Martin Zubimendi both went close with separate strikes later in the half but to no avail and the score remained 1-0 at the break.

It only took seven minutes for the Gunners to grab that second goal and, as is tradition, it came from a set-piece. Declan Rice was the architect-in-chief and his delicious, whipped corner met the head of Brighton man Georginio Rutter at the near post, his deft touch leaving Verbruggen stranded between the sticks to gift Arsenal a cushion.

The Seagulls ripped that cushion away just moments later when Yasin Ayari hit the post only for the follow-up to reach Diego Gomez; the Paraguayan reacted quickest to fire a first-time effort past David Raya and set up a nervy finish.  

Yankuba Minteh almost levelled for the visitors late on when his fierce strike was brilliantly saved by Raya, while the closing stages made for a hard watch as Arsenal hung on for dear life, trying to wind down the clock by the corner flag.

They held on for the win again, and here are the player ratings from this third consecutive Premier League triumph.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

David Raya (GK): 8 – Could have sat in a deckchair for the first 45 as Brighton failed to register a shot all half. Raya was not quite so comfortable after half-time (though he could do little about the goal) but stayed alert and produced a truly world-class save to deny Yankuba Minteh what looked certain to be an equaliser.   

Declan Rice (RB): 8.5 – There is nothing Declan Rice cannot do! He filled in at RB for the injured Timber and proved his worth with a stunning recovery run and tackle to stop a Brighton breakaway while it was his brilliant delivery which led to the Rutter own goal. Just a top-drawer display at both ends of the pitch.

William Saliba (CB): 7 – Saliba is always so impressive at the back and he hardly put a foot wrong in marshalling the Brighton attack. They asked more questions of him as the game wore on after a quiet first half but he dealt with them ably; his evident confidence will only grow further now that Gabriel is back in the picture.

Piero Hincapie (CB): 7 – Back from injury and looked steady. He seemed to assume the Calafiori role when Arsenal tried to put the game to bed as he often ended up being the most advanced player in red and white – it did not lead to many clear-cut chances but it certainly had the away backline on high alert.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (LB): 6 – Thrust into the team at short notice and looked very assured, spraying passes around and forever trying to get the Gunners up the pitch. Injuries have granted Lewis-Skelly more game time in recent weeks and, naturally, his confidence and performance levels are increasing each match; surely Arteta can find a way to pick him more often?

Midfielders

Martin Zubimendi (CM): 7 – Shared RB duties at times with Rice and it was another polished outing for Zubimendi. The Spaniard almost scored with cheeky backheel before the half-time break and his positioning throughout was an important factor in shutting down several Brighton attempts to hit on the counter.

Martin Odegaard (CM): 8 – The captain often leaves a lot to be desired with his shooting but he had the clinical touch here to fire the team ahead. In general, he delivered a top-class performance (even if his final ball is still sometimes suspect) that was reminiscent of the Odegaard of old. Maybe regular minutes and some good injury fortune will see him return to his best form; the swagger was certainly back here.

Mikel Merino (CM): 5 – I love Mikel Merino, even if one never quite knows what to expect. He put in a huge effort as always and fans cannot doubt his commitment, but questions remain over his impact on the team. The game seemed to pass him by and he flew into a few challenges that could have put him in the referees’ notebook; he escaped a card thankfully but offered his team little at either end.

Forwards

Leandro Trossard (LW): 6 – Not his most productive outing but still a decent showing from the former Brighton man. Trossard did really well to lead an Arsenal breakaway in the first half and it was his ball which sent Gyokeres through early on, only for the Swede to squander the chance. His showboating in front of the away fans was a big highlight from the afternoon.

Bukayo Saka (RW): 7 – Saka had a decent outing and was more involved in the action than in recent games. He teed up Odegaard for the opener and made something out of nothing from a long Raya ball just before the break, yet it still never quite clicked for him in the final third – his finishing could still improve.

Viktor Gyokeres (ST): 5 – Lots of the usual endeavour and neat hold-up work from Gyokeres without having a major impact on proceedings. His first brilliant goal-scoring chance resulted in a pitiful effort straight at Verbruggen, though his willingness to chase lost causes later saw the Dutch ‘keeper earn a yellow card. Still, one expects more from a big-money striker and, for all of Arsenal’s possession and chances, Gyokeres rarely looked like finding the net.

Substitutes

Gabriel Magalhaes (71’ for Lewis-Skelly) – 5/10

Gabriel Jesus (71’ for Gyokeres) – 6/10

Gabriel Martinelli (82’ for Trossard) – 6/10

Player of the Match: Declan Rice