Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Arsenal
by Layth Yousif 
at Falmer

A TENSE, nervy, and at times turgid clash saw Arsenal emerge triumphant over Brighton & Hove Albion through an eighth minute goal from Bukayo Saka.

The Gunners’ tremendous defensive rearguard, which, allied with an unquenchable desire to win, along with a muscular solidity — and of course a relentless preponderance of set pieces to create bluster, chaos and confusion amid the Seagulls — were the structures behind this hugely important victory.

And if that refusal to admit defeat manifested itself in a vigorous robustness that had the home support howling in frustration at times, then so be it. The critics be damned.

Not that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, his victorious team, nor the club’s superb 3,000 strong travelling support in an attendance of 31,575 would care a jot about providing such lousy fare at times, certainly not when the prospect of ending the club’s Premier League title drought stretching 22 long years looms large on the horizon.

At this stage of the season all that matters is the result, not the manner of how it was achieved. The rest is merely noise.

The facts are Saka scored on his 300th Arsenal appearance, to make it two goals in four games for the England international, who hadn’t found the net in 15 prior to that.

Those massed in the away end had further reason to celebrate at the final whistle upon learning that title rivals Manchester City drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest, as Arteta’s side moved seven points clear, albeit with Pep Guardiola’s side having a game in hand.

Speaking after the match, a relieved Arteta said: “It’s a huge win.

“We knew how tough it was going to be. We’re coming back from a very difficult game with a lot of intensity, with players really going through the line in every game, with difficulties, not able to train and to come here and get the result that we got, I think it’s remarkable.”

In truth this match was as grisly as the beautiful blue skies over Brighton earlier in the day were glorious. The azure vault of heaven offering the endless possibilities that only early spring can provide, following an endlessly wet and dismally dank winter.

In stark contrast to the welcome weather, the dismal fare at Falmer was what the Italians would call “una partita brutto” — an ugly game — which provided plenty of endeavour, but with barely any end product, both penalty boxes, and the centre circle, as crowded with pedestrians blocking your path as Brighton’s celebrated Lanes.

It was appropriate that in this captivating south coast town, which delightfully, always seems to border on the edge of impropriety, this game also offered relentless animation, but without crossing into disorderly conduct.

Although, if you listened to the moans of Albion’s young boss Fabian Hurzeler afterwards, you could be forgiven for believing Arteta’s muscular Arsenal were the embodiment of Wimbledon’s 1980s rambunctious Crazy Gang, rather than merely challenging strongly for silverware across four fronts in the month of March, while possessing, in Declan Rice, surely the land’s Player of the Season.

Hurzeler huffed afterwards in petulant whine that sullied his reputation: “I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way.”

The German’s surly appraisal was met by a scoff from Arteta, who, you felt, had so much more he wanted to say about his 33-year-old managerial rival, that, sadly, collegiate decorum prevented, merely settling for his trademark hint of sarcasm mixed in with bizarre surreality, when settling for: “What a surprise. You can just go back to the previous games and you will find a lot of comments. I love my players. That’s the highlight. I love my players, we love our players, and I love the way that we compete.”

Yet, if Arsenal are to provide an eighties revival of sorts through their much-derided, but hugely efficient set piece football — which in reality is so much more than the paucity of that mislabelling — then this result would have had George Graham, the architect of the original clarion call to all true Gooners “une nil to the Arsenal,” purring with delight.

Quite simply the Gunners backline were majestic in their defiance of a spirited Brighton side. For league titles are won at the back, as much as with the forward line.

And the north Londoners’ very own “King of Brazil,” Gabriel, put in a “thou shalt not pass” performance worthy of the legendary centre-half Tony Adams.

With the influential William Saliba missing the match, to be replaced by Cristhian Mosquera, the rousing strains of Sussex By The Sea at this atmospheric stadium had barely subsided before David Raya sloppily gave the ball straight to Carlos Baleba, who lifted it over the keeper — but Gabriel covered yards from an open net to clear.

Hurzeler’s side were to rue the early miss, when Saka scored after eight minutes to make it 1-0 to the Arsenal, after his shot took a nick off Baleba, before the ball flew through Bart Verbruggen’s legs. Despite the slight deflection, the Albion keeper could, and should have done better.

Stung, the home side attempted to dominate possession, as the match descended into a battle in front of an excitable home crowd who looked for new ways to dig their opponents. The most original being when Brighton fans sang to the north Londoners: “Keir Starmer/He’s one of your own.”

With Rice deemed fit to start after asking to come off in the closing minutes of the 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the weekend, the battle was weighted in the Gunners’ favour, the £105 million midfielder feverishly chasing every lost cause, continuously hassling and harrying his opponents, giving a masterclass in abrasion.

During the relentless attrition it was instructive to note Arsenal’s full-backs, Piero Hincapie and Jurrien Timber, performed well when winning their duels. An important factor in helping disrupt Albion’s pressure, helping the visitors push further forward.

While Brighton’s Georginio Rutter caught the eye for the Seagulls, as the number 10 dropped deeper into midfield, attempting to take on Arsenal’s centre-backs, in a bid to open up space for colleagues further forward.

Albion stalwart Lewis Dunk was absent for Brighton, replaced by Olivier Boscagli, with Hurzeler making two further changes from the team that beat Nottingham Forest last time out, as Baleba was preferred to James Milner with Rutter coming in for Danny Welbeck — the former Arsenal striker forced to settle for a place on the bench.

While for Arsenal Gabi Martinelli was drafted in for Leandro Trossard, who dropped to the bench alongside a fit Kai Havertz.

In a match of few chances, Saka went close 11 minutes after the break, prior to Raya saving Rutter’s shot a minute later by pushing the ball away from danger as the home crowd roared on.

On the hour mark, Arteta took off Martinelli, and the lamentably ineffective Viktor Gyokeres, to be replaced by Trossard and Havertz — with the former Brighton attacker predictably being booed by the home support. Shortly afterwards Riccardo Calafiori switched with Mosquera, who walked gingerly around the pitch to reach the dugouts.

It was soon Hurzeler’s turn to make a change, bringing on former Gunner Welbeck, with Jack Hinshelwood making way.

There were jeers once again for Trossard, this time on 73 minutes, when the ex-Seagull fired miserably wide, barracking from the home support.

However, amid the fire and the fury on the South Downs, the north London table toppers showed grit and character to see out the game, to pick up three vital points on what could well prove to be a decisive evening in the title race.

On the “anger” aimed at his players from the outside for the heinous crime of being an effective side, difficult to break down, while enjoying creating havoc in opponents boxes, Arteta simply shrugged and said: “I think they love our players and every time they talk about our players, I think they’re the most loved ones in the country.”

Perhaps those critics, Hurzeler included, should recall the wise words of Marxist philosopher, political activist, playwright and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre, who once opined gnomically: “Everything in football is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.”