Arsenal Secures Narrow Victory Against Brighton Amid Calls for Improved Finishing

Arsenal’s captain, Martin Ødegaard, opened the scoring for the North London side in the 14th minute, followed shortly after the halftime break by a second goal resulting from a Georginio Rutter own goal. Despite holding a two-goal lead, Arsenal allowed Diego Gomez to strike midway through the second half, creating a tense finish at the Emirates Stadium.

This victory against Brighton marks Arsenal’s third consecutive win in the Premier League, though each match has been secured by a narrow margin. The Gunners previously relied on a late own goal by Yerson Mosquera to clinch a 1-0 victory against Wolves and a first-half penalty from Viktor Gyökeres in their 1-0 win over Everton last weekend.

Ian Wright has urged Arsenal to be more decisive in front of goal if they aim to secure their first Premier League title in over two decades. Late in the game, a crucial save from David Raya denied Yankuba Minteh, confirming the victory. Wright praised Raya’s performance but emphasized the need for Arsenal to transform their opportunities into goals distinctly.

In a post-match interview with Premier League Productions, Wright stated, “I think David Raya has probably saved our blushes with that amazing save. But it’s a problem we’ve got at the moment; with the chances we’re making, we don’t seem to be able to take them comfortably, leading to increased anxiety on the pitch.”

He expressed hope that the return of Gabriel Magalhães would provide stability in defense, while also stressing the importance of capitalizing on scoring chances. Wright noted, “We’ve won the game, but we need to be able to take these chances, as we may not always get away with it.”

Manager Mikel Arteta echoed Wright’s sentiments, calling for an improvement in clinical finishing. Following the match, Arteta expressed satisfaction with the overall performance but acknowledged that the scoreline should have reflected a more significant margin. “With the number of chances created, it should never have been 2-1. That’s the Premier League, and we need to improve our execution.”

Arteta conveyed pride in his team’s resilience, particularly given recent challenges, including injuries to key players. “After playing every three days, the performance today, especially with the difficulties in our backline, was commendable. Declan Rice’s versatility at right-back exemplifies our spirit and determination as a team.”

Looking ahead, Arsenal is set to face a critical top-of-the-table clash against Aston Villa on Tuesday night. Villa, having won their last eight league matches, is closing in on the league leaders, further intensifying the upcoming encounter.