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The Gunners needed victory to get closer to Manchester City but the Seagulls handed them a reality check to leave Mikel Arteta's men clutching at the straws
Brighton & Hove Albion secured a third successive away victory over Arsenal as a stellar second-half performance saw the Seagulls inflict a fatal blow on the Gunners’ faltering pursuit of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Having seen their title rivals move four points clear at the summit after victory over Everton earlier in the day, Arsenal knew only a win would suffice to keep their slim hopes of a first league trophy since 2003-04 alive.
The visit of top-six chasing Brighton, however, promised to be a stern test, and the hosts were somewhat fortunate to avoid an early setback when Gabriel Martinelli escaped punishment for an ill-judged challenge on Kaoru Mitoma.
After a cagey opening half-hour in which neither side were able to gain control of proceedings, it was Arsenal who came within inches of an opener as former Seagulls player Leandro Trossard, who replaced the injured Martinelli midway through the first period, clipped the bar with a fierce strike from the edge of the box.
That provided the Gunners with some encouragement as the interval approached, although the best opportunity fell to Brighton’s Julio Enciso, who blazed wastefully over the bar after superb wing play from Mitoma.
Having found the net in each of their last 11 PL matches on the road, Brighton emerged after the restart with renewed focus, and they soon found the breakthrough in the 51st minute through Enciso.
Unmarked inside the six-yard box, the Paraguayan stooped to convert from Pervis Estupinan’s cross, giving Roberto De Zerbi’s side a deserved lead. Given the magnitude of the contest, an immediate response was required from Mikel Arteta’s side, however, Reiss Nelson fired a low strike narrowly wide of the far post as Arsenal continued to toil against their well-drilled opponents.
With time ticking into the final 15 minutes, the hosts’ pursuit of a late comeback looked to be running out of steam, and that proved to be the case, as Deniz Undav and Estupinan pounced on lax defending late on to wrap up a thoroughly deserved triumph for the Seagulls.
Defeat leaves Arsenal four points adrift of league-leaders Manchester City, with just three points required for Pep Guardiola’s side to clinch a third successive title. As for Brighton, they rise to sixth in the table, having played fewer games than all of their rivals for the European qualification spots.
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