This time last year, Arsenal got the April shakes. Pressure on, minds unclear, all their good habits forgotten as precious points started to slip from their grasp.
They drew three in a row, before a 4-1 defeat by Manchester City and collapsing against Brighton at home, beaten by three goals as their title challenge imploded.
Twelve months on, and the signs are that Mikel Arteta’s team will not go the same way again. Call it a lesson learned, or simply the benefit of experience but they do not look anything like a team about to fall apart again.
They look strong and determined. They look better equipped, with the addition of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to their ranks adding not only physical presence but enhancing their mentality and with it their desire to win.
Havertz made the vital contribution here, as Arsenal reversed that 3-0 defeat and remained in step with City, who won equally convincingly earlier on Saturday at the other end of the M23. His was the second of the game, scored from close range in the 62nd minute, stretching the lead after Bukayo Saka’s penalty in the first half.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a convincing 3-0 victory over Brighton
Mikel Arteta’s side are displaying none of the jitters that saw them fall off course last season
Bukayo Saka kept his cool from twelve yards to give the visitors the lead at the Amex
His was the goal to bring order to an unruly contest, offering the visitors an element of control and forcing Brighton to venture more freely out of defence, and presenting the chance for Leandro Trossard to score the third on the break, released by Havertz.
Arsenal might have taken control soon had it not been for a rash of poor finishing, at the start of the game.
Gabriel Magalhaes ought to have scored with only a minute on the clock, from a free kick delivered by Martin Odegaard from the Arsenal left and headed wide. Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen left his line in a bid to cut out the curling cross but never came close and Gabriel planted a header wide of an open goal.
The Brazilian centre half was not the only culprit. Saka darted clear down the right, jinked inside Lewis Dunk onto his left foot and slid a shot wide of the far post. Verbruggen made a flying save from Gabriel Jesus, who then headed wide, a disappointing finish from a cross by Havertz.
It’s true, Brighton do not present the same test they did a year ago. They are by no means as fluent as last season. They have struggled to cope with the workload of their first European campaign, the demands and the fitness issues that came with it, but have some important players back from injury and they were in this contest for an hour.
In the first half, they flickered with menace whenever they managed to play through Arsenal’s press and spring out of defence, especially when Simon Adringra and Tariq Lamptey were able to expose Oleksandr Zinchenko with their blistering pace on the right. Or when they manipulated the ball into Julio Enciso in space.
Adingra flashed one shot wide, Enciso swept another over after a counter attack by Lamptey and Jakub Moder drove wide from 25 yards.
Lamptey was hurt on another raid forward, slipping and twisting an ankle under a challenge from David Raya. Twice he needed on-field treatment and could have been feeling the effects when he gave away the penalty, trying to defend against Jesus.
The award of a penalty for a Tariq Lamptey challenge on Gabriel Jesus was controversial
David Raya rewarded Arteta’s sustained confidence in him by producing a spectacular save
He did get a touch on the ball, and the decision infuriated the home crowd. It was only a very slight touch, however, and did not divert the ball significantly from its path.
Jesus would have been onto it and moving dangerously towards goal had he not been felled by the challenge.
Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot and VAR Robert Jones saw no reason to ask him to look again. Saka converted it with confidence, his 17th goal of the season and his first since February. Still, the contest refused to settle. It simmered, resisting any real pattern and fizzed at a breathless tempo.
Raya made a fabulous save, leaping to his left to keep out a curling Enciso effort destined for top corner before the interval. At the other end, Havertz failed to punish Dunk and Verbruggen as they hesitated inside their own penalty area.
Gradually, Arsenal exerted their authority. They dominated the early exchanges in the second half.
Jesus climbed above Lamptey at the back post and headed a good chance wide, early in the second half, and Verbruggen made a routine save to turn over a shot by Odegaard before Havertz stretched the lead.
Enciso gave the ball away, careless deep in his own half. Odegaard threaded a pass to Jorginho who picked out his former Chelsea teammate as he arrived at the near post.
The Gunners took control after the interval and Kai Havertz doubled their lead on 62 minutes
Havertz has proved to be an integral component to Arsenal’s continued success of late
Leandro Trossard’s return to the Amex was met with derision from the Brighton faithful and the Belgian added insult to injury by netting Arsenal’s third in the final minutes of this clash
With five goals in his last seven Premier League games, Havertz is very much at the vanguard of this new, more resilient Arsenal. He has a habit of making big contributions in the big games, as Chelsea supporters will recall.
This goal served to draw the sting from Brighton. Arsenal fans hurled a red flare onto the pitch in celebrations. Substitutes came and went and Arteta must have enjoyed seeing his team close it out in mature fashion.
Trossard broke clear for the third, clipping a finish over Verbruggen against his former club. That was the cue for the home fans to leave. They away fans lingered a little longer to salute their team, back on the top of the Premier League. Over to Liverpool.
