Thanks to their assured performance against Brighton at the Amex Stadium, Arsenal regained their position as Premier League leaders. The Gunners were just the second club this season to beat the Seagulls in their own backyard, winning 3-0 away from home.

In a nervous first half, Mikel Arteta’s team dominated possession and had a golden opportunity to take the lead through Gabriel’s headed goal. They had to wait until Gabriel Jesus was brought down in the penalty area in the 33rd minute before they could finally celebrate. Bukayo Saka calmly converted the penalty kick.

Both teams were tied going into halftime, but Arsenal continued their strong play. After finding some room on the right, Jorginho chipped the ball into the penalty area. From close range, Kai Havertz tapped the ball home, demonstrating once again his ability to lead the line.

In the waning minutes of the match, Havertz set up Leandro Trossard, a former Brighton star, for the third goal. No one would have been surprised by the final score when Trossard chipped the goalkeeper.

Arsenal is shown it can handle any situation with grace and poise. Slick passing moves or a chipped header from the corner are two ways they can score. They have the option to aggressively press high up the field or to sit on the edge of their own box and block all attacks.

To sum up, Mikel Arteta has assembled a team of players with a wide range of skills and abilities. In this most recent triumph, their second goal served as an exemplary case. Kai Havertz, originally signed to play midfield but is now flourishing in attack, converted it with an assist from Jorginho, who briefly switched roles to overlapping winger.

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Few teams pose the sort of questions that Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton posed of Arsenal. Matches on the south coast are awkward and strange, with unfamiliar shapes and spaces. Arsenal had some trouble but, as they so often do these days, they adapted to the challenge in front of them.

Bukayo Saka’s penalty and Havertz’s strike were the key moments, but it was a victory built primarily on that adaptability. It was also a sign of their progress. This was the exact sort of occasion that would have caused Arsenal to stumble last year.

If the chants from the Arsenal away end at Brighton were a throwback to the 90s, Mikel Arteta’s has now built a defence to match the days of Dixon, Bould, Adams and Winterburn. As the Gunners returned to the top of the Premier League table, they did so while keeping five clean sheets away from home in a row for the first time since 1997.

You could see why, as Gabriel Magalhaes threw himself to block Joao Pedro’s shot in stoppage time. Arsenal were 3-0 up and cruising, but Gabriel celebrated as if it had won the Gunners the match.

David Raya (8/10):

Made one stunning save to deny Enciso in the first half. Couple of misplaced passes early on, but a really strong performance all round.

Ben White (7/10):

Great battle with Julio Enciso. Enjoyed some good moments going forward, including one superb pass to set up a chance for Saka, but was given problems by the lively Brighton winger.

William Saliba (8/10):

Strong showing once again. Really calm in his own box as he looked to play away from danger.

Gabriel Magalhaes (8/10):

Should have scored early on with a header. Took a knock to his ankle, but still had a strong night against Danny Welbeck. Superb block late on to protect the clean sheet.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (6/10):

Struggled in the early stages, but grew into the game as it wore on. Linked up well with Gabriel Jesus at times. 

Midfield

Jorginho (7/10):

Struggled at times when Brighton isolated him after playing through the press in the first half, but used his experience well. Superb play to set up the second goal for Havertz.

Declan Rice (8/10):

Good battle in midfield. Had to chase back a lot when Brighton found a way through the press. Covered a lot of distance. Almost scored right at the end.

Martin Odegaard (8/10):

Class once again. His quick feet and vision make him a joy to watch. Brilliant ball for Jorginho to help set up the second goal.

Attack

Bukayo Saka (6/10):

Stayed calm to score from the spot in the first half. Had put a golden chance wide before that.

Kai Havertz (9/10):

Was a handful for the Brighton defence all evening. Ran tirelessly and was rewarded with the second goal, which he finished well after a good run across the defender. Lovely assist for Trossard’s late strike as well. Excellent performance.

Gabriel Jesus (7/10):

Did a good job out on the left. Won the penalty with a superb touch and drop of the shoulder. Unlucky with one good effort in the first half which was well saved, but should have done better with a couple of headers.

Subs & Manager

Leandro Trossard (7/10):

Marked his return to his former club with a lovely goal to make it 3-0 late on.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

Never really got into the game as Arsenal sat back and protected their lead.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (5/10):

Helped Arsenal see the game out.

Fabio Vieira (N/A):

On for the final few minutes.

Eddie Nketiah (N/A):

Got the last few minutes having replaced Havertz.

Mikel Arteta (8/10):

A near perfect night for the Arsenal manager. His subs made a difference at the right time in the second half and the win sets things up perfectly ahead of the huge Champions League first-leg clash with Bayern Munich on April 9.