The Gunners are embroiled in a three-team fight for top spot and went second out of the contenders this weekend.
Manchester City went first, beating Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park before Arsenal produced a fine display to beat Brighton.
It took Arsenal just over half an hour to find the opener as Tariq Lamptey tripped Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka fired home the penalty.
Kai Havertz made it 2-0 after the break before sending Leandro Trossard through on goal to make it 3-0 against his former club.
Arsenal saw out the game to secure a 3-0 victory and now sit top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Manchester United leaves the Gunners in top spot, albeit on goal difference, and fate is now in Arsenal’s hands.
Mikel Arteta on Arsenal ‘bonus’
Arsenal are in terrifying form for their title rivals.
The Gunners have just kept three clean sheets in a row, again proving their defensive excellence.
One moment summed it up on Saturday as Gabriel Magalhaes blocked a late shot from fellow Brazilian Joao Pedro.
The game was already done but Gabriel and his teammates celebrated passionately, showing just how much that clean sheet meant to them.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was asked about Gabriel’s celebration and he told Arsenal’s official website that the reaction was ‘really pleasing’.
Arteta believes that Arsenal’s players are showing how much they want clean sheets and seeing that kind of focus was ‘an extra bonus’ after a superb 3-0 win.
“That’s really pleasing for all the coaches to see that reaction from the team at 3-0,” said Arteta. “It’s great because that tells you how much they want it, the importance and the focus they put in every single ball, that was an extra bonus today,” he added.
Gabriel and Saliba the best in the league
It’s not often that we have praised Arsenal’s defending in recent years.
The Gunners have been viewed as a side who can crumble under pressure but that really isn’t the case this season.
Arsenal are barely giving opponents a chance to score and the brilliance of £27million ace Gabriel alongside William Saliba is a huge reason for that.
This is now the top centre back partnership in the Premier League and nobody will be looking forward to facing them.
The really worrying factor for Premier League clubs is that Saliba is just 23 and Gabriel is only 26, so there could be many more years of this partnership to come with Arsenal building a dominant back line.
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