PREMIER LEAGUE title-chasing Arsenal visit the south coast to take on Brighton this evening, with Mikel Arteta’s side requiring nothing short of a victory to maintain their hopes of domestic silverware. 

The North Londoners are challenging for their first league title in 20 years, having narrowly missed out last term despite leading the race for a record-breaking 258 days — and are currently involved in a gripping three-way battle with Liverpool and Manchester City. 

Previewing tomorrow’s teatime tough trip to take on Roberto De Zerbi’s impressive Seagulls side, Arteta said today: “We’re going to have a really tough opponent again in Brighton.

“We know that, so we’ll prepare well and try to be better than them and try to win,” adding: “We have the Champions League games, and we have some big games at home, so every game in this league is extremely difficult.”

Arteta made five changes before the 2-0 victory against Luton on Wednesday evening, with Declan Rice, Gabriel Jesus and Jorginho given a rest on the bench, as a busy spell of season-defining fixtures looms large, which includes tomorrow’s tough trip to Brighton, prior to hosting Harry Kane’s Munich in the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition next week. 

When asked how happy he was after taking a risk in making the most changes he has done all season before a game, Arteta said this morning: “I was very pleased with the [Luton] result and performance and the fact that everybody responded in the way that we expected.

“When you make changes there is a possibility because they haven’t played that much but I think the boys were really good.”

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table after a 2-0 victory over a hard-working Hatters side — albeit for only 24 hours prior to Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Sheffield United at Anfield on Thursday evening. 

Martin Odegaard fired home his 10th goal of the campaign, after being teed up by Kai Havertz on 24 minutes to put the Gunners 1-0 up against Rob Edwards battling Luton.

The move was started by first team returnee and homegrown talent Emile Smith Rowe, who pressured Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu into ceding possession that saw Odegaard dovetailing well with Havertz.

Reiss Nelson appeared to have slotted home after good work by Smith Rowe a minute before the interval. However, the powers-that-be decided it was to be Hatters’ Daiki Hashioka’s own goal.

Arteta was once again complimentary about Nelson at his press conference at the club's HQ and training ground London Colney this morning, saying: “In the previous game [Manchester City away] Reiss was not in the squad — but the next game [Luton] he’s ready to start.

“If someone doesn’t react the way he did after, you are not ready to perform so I’m really pleased with that kind of reaction in the team.”

Havertz has been another player on which Arteta’s judgement has been validated. Despite questions being asked at the £65m arrival of Havertz last summer from Chelsea, the former Bayer Leverkusen attacker has notched nine league goals this season, including eight in the top-flight. 

Arteta said of the 24-year-old: “I’m very pleased. He’s got incredible qualities to occupy different spaces in the attacking phase, to threaten the goal, to link up play, and when you have to be more direct as well, he'll give you that layout.

“Not only that, but I also think his contribution defensively is outstanding for the team, with his work rate, and the effort he is putting in the high press especially. He’s got more to come, more games to come, he needs to improve the numbers and I’m sure he will try to do it.

On being asked whether we have seen Havertz’s best yet, Arteta replied: “I don’t think so. At this age, and he’s just started with us, it’s his first season, he’s building those relationships.

“He’s moving in those positions as well and he’s that good, and with the intelligence that he has he can be much better.”

Brighton currently occupy ninth spot and are very much in contention for a Europa Conference League place.

Despite a stale goalless draw at Brentford in midweek, De Zerbi’s Seagulls look assured of a third consecutive top-half finish, and will be relishing the visit of the Gunners to pile further pressure on Arteta’s title hopefuls, in what should be an enthralling contest. 

Arteta was full of praise for opponent De Zerbi, saying: “I’m very impressed. He’s a top manager with a top coaching staff. I think they’re an unbelievable football club, what they have done deserves incredible credit.

“The way they run the football club, the decisions they have made and how they have established themselves in the league, and now fighting with the top clubs as well, I think they’ve done a magnificent job.

“I think Roberto has given a very clear style and attractive way of playing football, and they make life very difficult for the opponent.”

While Luton boss Edwards claimed this week there were no weaknesses in this current Arsenal side, this month marks two long decades since the Gunners last lifted the league title with their Invincibles and Arteta is attempting to recreate the aura that great team had.

“I’ve been in the tunnel playing with a different shirt and looking at the Invincibles and I did have the feeling that [the match] is going to be really tough,” said Arteta.

“Hopefully we can create that [again].”