Arsenal showed their resilience and team spirit during a moment in injury time at the end of their impressive win over Brighton on Saturday evening.
The Gunners ran out 3-0 winners on the south coast, becoming the first side to win at Brighton since August in some style. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Gabriel Jesus was brought down by Tariq Lamptey before Kai Havertz made it 2-0 with a tap-in from Jorginho’s cross.
Leandro Trossard then climbed off the bench to add gloss to the scoreline with a brilliantly-taken finish on the counter-attack. Victory moved Arsenal back top of the league and put pressure on Liverpool, who play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side were ruthlessly efficient in attack against Brighton, but it was their defensive solidity which stood out. Saturday’s result ensured a fifth successive away clean sheet in the Premier League – and it was clear how much that statistic meant to the players.
Gabriel Magalhaes made a great block from a shot by Joao Pedro in the 91st minute before producing a huge roar of celebration. The Arsenal centre-back was quickly congratulated by his team-mates who then dealt with the resulting corner.
The moment and its significance did not escape Arteta. He said: “Really pleasing for all the coaches to see the reaction of the team at 3-0. It is great as that tells you how much they want it and the focus they put into every single ball. That was an extra bonus.”
