Arsenal eventually defeated a tenacious Brighton to reclaim first place in the Premier League, if only for a few hours.
With Liverpool meeting Manchester United at 16:30 GMT, the Gunners reclaimed first place thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ header and Kai Havertz’s late goal.
Arsenal dominated the first half without being rewarded, but the tension was relieved when Jesus converted a corner.
The hosts were almost punished when Pascal Gross missed a glorious opportunity before Havertz clinched the win, sparking wild scenes at a relieved Emirates Stadium.
The Seagulls, who were hoping for their third consecutive league victory at Emirates Stadium, only mustered one shot on goal and fell to ninth position.
After a conservative first half, Brighton provided greater attacking danger in the final half hour, but anything less than a home win would have been unjust.
Arsenal had 26 efforts on goal and came close to adding a third in injury time when replacement Emile Smith Rowe’s dipping drive was saved.
“It was a fantastic performance.” “It was a joy to watch from start to finish,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, whose wild celebrations showed the importance of the victory.
“The way we played against a fantastic Brighton team was incredible.” We were patient, persevered, and believed until we achieved what we deserved.”
Arsenal continues to press Liverpool and Manchester City.
Arsenal had an opportunity to put down the gauntlet to their opponents with Liverpool playing later on Sunday and defending champions Manchester City still trailing them after squandering points against Crystal Palace.
Last weekend’s dramatic defeat at Aston Villa saw the Gunners lose their summit position and a five-match winning streak in the Premier League come to an end.
Despite this, the mood in the camp remained positive, with Arteta and his players emphasizing the positives of a defeat in which they had generated enough solid chances to earn anything.
Arteta stuck with the same starting lineup against Brighton and challenged his players to make amends in front of their home fans.
The Gunners had gone 12 games unbeaten at home since losing 3-0 to Brighton in May, but the first half followed a familiar pattern.
In a one-sided first half, Arsenal moved the ball with pace and purpose against a deep-lying Brighton side, creating chances for Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, and Gabriel Martinelli.
They were unable, however, to uncover the merciless streak that Arteta had sought.
“I didn’t want to feel like it was another game where we couldn’t score, but you think about it.” “We had so many chances to put the game away,” Arteta remarked, whose team will meet Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Arsenal headed into halftime with 15 shots on goal, just three of which were on target, and the second half began with Odegaard wasting another opportunity.
When faced with the ball in the area, the Gunners captain took too long, opting for a touch rather than a first-time shot, allowing Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke to smartly nip in.
That unintentionally set up the first goal, with Van Hecke flicking the resulting corner on to the far post, where Jesus pounced.
Arsenal and its fans understood the significance of scoring a second goal to end the game, which was highlighted when Gross slipped wide from a cross that he should have finished.
The hosts eventually won when Havertz capped off a brilliant attacking play with his fourth goal in his last seven appearances.