Arsenal Retain Premier League Top Spot With Win Over Brighton

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With a tense 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday, Arsenal overcame their defensive injury crisis to climb back to the top of the Premier League.

Before Riccardo Calafiori was injured just before kick-off at the Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta’s side already had a number of defenders.

Martin Odegaard gave the Gunners a first half lead before Georginio Rutter’s own goal in the second half extended that lead.

Brighton’s Diego Gomez scored one goal, but Arsenal held on for a third successive league win.

At the conclusion of Arsenal’s English Premier League football match against Brighton and Hove Albion on December 27, 2025, Swedish midfielder #26 Yasin Ayari (bottom R) collides with the goal in front of the Arsenal goal at the Emirates Stadium in London. Adrian Dennis/AFP photo

Arsenal are two points clear of Manchester City, who had briefly risen to the top after beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Saturday.

On December 30th, the North Londoners take on title rivals Aston Villa in their next game.

Due to the injury bug, Arteta was forced to field a team without a recognized right-back, and Calafiori’s knock in the pre-game warm-up made things even worse.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly started at left-back while England midfielder Declan Rice started at right-back due to Jurrien Timber, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera being sidelined.

Arsenal should have taken an early lead at Brighton despite their defense issues when Viktor Gyokeres mishandled Lewis Dunk before striking straight at Bart Verbruggen.

At the conclusion of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the English Premier League on December 27, 2025, Brazilian defender #06 Gabriel Magalhaes (L) and Arsenal defender #36 Martin Zubimendi (R) react. (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP)

After slaloming past Maxim De Cuyper, Bukayo Saka was next in line, but Verbruggen saved at his close range.

In the fourteenth minute, Verbruggen’s subpar goal-kick was saved by Saka, who teed up Odegaard for a fine low finish from the edge of the area.

It was the Arsenal captain’s first goal of the season, putting an end to a May personal goal drought.

Before Verbruggen made a brilliant save from Gyokeres, Rice almost doubled the lead, but Dunk cleared his shot off the line before he was saved.

The impressive record that Arsenal had won all 11 of their league games before this season’s opener was going to be preserved.

On December 27, 2025, during the English Premier League game between Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium in London, Myles Lewis-Skelly (top L) and Mats Wieffer (bottom L) clashed with Brighton’s Dutch defender (bottom L). (Photo by Adrian Dennis/AFP)

Rutter headed Rice’s corner into his own net in the 52nd minute, extending Arsenal’s remarkable run of set-piece goals this season and putting up four own goals in their last six goals.

It was a big surprise when Brighton, who had a better chance in the first half, scored one more than Brighton in the 64th minute.

Gomez responded quickly and fired home from close range after Yasin Ayari’s shot was cannoned back off the post.

For his return from a thigh injury suffered in early November, Arteta gave the game’s center-back a second chance.

However, Arsenal’s fans were beginning to jiggle, and Yankuba Minteh almost caused them to explode with a long-range blast that was headed in the top corner before Raya made a brilliant tip over.