Arsenal returned to the summit of the Premier League on Saturday, though not without a self-inflicted late flutter of nerves. After Manchester City briefly displaced them with a clinical win over Nottingham Forest earlier in the afternoon, Mikel Arteta’s side responded with a performance that was, for an hour, a masterclass in suffocating dominance before fraying at the edges.
People Also Read:
Rayan Cherki Inspires Manchester City to Hard-Fought 2-1 Win Over Nottingham Forest
The Gunners issued a statement of intent from the first whistle, and it was Martin Ødegaard who provided the breakthrough in the 14th minute. After Brighton’s insistence on playing out from the back backfired spectacularly, the captain capitalized on a loose short goal-kick.
His finish was vintage Ødegaard: a crisp, low, left-footed strike that hissed past Bart Verbruggen. It was his first of the campaign, a goal that felt as much about relief as it did technique.
By the interval, the only mystery was how the lead remained at one. Arsenal registered 15 shots to Brighton’s zero in a first half that felt like a training exercise, yet the hosts headed down the tunnel kicking themselves for failing to bury the contest early.
4 – Four of Arsenal’s last six goals have been opposition own goals, as many as across their previous 182 goals combined in all competitions. Blink. pic.twitter.com/Lim4xpRTYT
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 27, 2025
The Turning Point
The cushion finally arrived seven minutes into the second half via a familiar route. Arsenal’s proficiency from dead-ball situations bore fruit once more when Declan Rice’s whipped delivery was inadvertently glanced home by Georginio Rutter.
It was a calamitous moment for the Brighton man, who looked to have cleared a ball that required no intervention, marking yet another own goal in Arsenal’s favor this season.
However, the 2-0 lead birthed complacency rather than composure. In the 64th minute, Brighton found a lifeline out of nowhere. Yasin Ayari’s low drive rattled the post, and Diego Gomez showed superb instincts to lash the rebound into the top corner, silencing a stunned Emirates crowd.
What followed was a frantic finale that Arsenal made far more difficult than necessary. The tension reached a crescendo in the 77th minute when David Raya produced a save of the season contender.
As good as a goal 😮
Still thinking about this @daviidraya1 save to earn @Arsenal all three points 🧤 pic.twitter.com/7L6gOKqDoH
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 27, 2025
Yankuba Minteh, despite being off-balance, unleashed a strike destined for the top corner, only for Raya to fingertip it wide at full stretch.
“We played really well and controlled the game,” Ødegaard reflected afterward. “When we got the second goal, I felt we could’ve done better to manage the game and not concede. But that’s football. We got the win, and we’re happy.”
It wasn’t the clinical afternoon Arteta might have drawn up, but in a title race where margins are razor-thin, Arsenal’s ability to weather the storm and reclaim their perch is all that truly matters.
