Here's the brilliant Henry Waddon on Arsenal 2-0 Brighton: How Our Bogey Team Brighton Was Batted Aside by Arsenal's Illustrious Midfield Trio

Bogey teams, eh? There's something about them. Few things have the potential to ruin my day as eciently and comprehensively as ruminating on how Stoke City so frequently and so gleefully took us to the cleaners in the late noughties.

Coming into Sunday's fixtures against Brighton, that same familiar, horrible knot returned to my stomach at the thought of our abysmal home record against them.

I'm still especially haunted by the image of a smug, knee-sliding De Zerbi in the curtain call of a three-nil drubbing during the dying embers of last season's title charge.

But this Arsenal squad continues to break jinxes and pay no attention to superstition or curses or bogey teams. The one-nil victory over Man City back in October felt like a really significant moment for us. Like we'd proven something to ourselves and to the world.

Sunday’s assertive, assured performance felt like it proved something, too. We don't have to worry about precedent. If we play at our best, and with our trademark organised fluidity, we can beat anyone on our day.

Now, in the early sway of the season's festive cheer, I want this reflection of Sunday's victory to pay particular homage to three of our wisest men.

Arsenal's Three Wise Men

The first is the towering, unapologetic, indomitable, gargantuan Declan Rice.

Hundred mill, he's worth every one. Pouncing on every ball Brighton attempted to play out into the midfield, and driving past players in the middle of the park like a dad joining in on the kickabout at a kid's birthday party.

An absolute cheat code. I don't need to add to the reams and reams of Declan Rice mythologising, but it really is true what they say. He has elevated an already exceptional team to a dierent level.

Desperate to pick the ball up in any area of the field, desperate to make things happen.

His brilliant burst in the second half deserved a goal, too. Another outstanding display from Mr Ever-Reliable.

Martin Odegaard

The second is our magnificent captain.

The birthday boy. It wasn't many weeks ago that I first started to become aware of some (frankly baing) Martin Odegaard slander on the Twitter timeline.

Arguing that he doesn't show up in big games, that he doesn't create enough. If our Norwegian magician had any reason or need to silence these deluded, ungrateful cynics, his performances over the last month have unequivocally done so.

I was, I remain, and I always will be a proud member of The Martin Odegaard Fan Club.

There are few players in the entire league, for example, who could have taken the waning light of that Luton game by the scru of the neck, and kept the composure to swing that delightful ball in for Rice’s headed winner.

He has also been at his unplayable, goal-scoring best against the likes of Lens and Wolves in recent weeks. Sunday's fixture against Brighton once again saw our silky skipper in full stride. And he’s dierent gravy when he’s in this mood.

A pivotal cog in our second goal, and auteur of a filthy outside-of-the-boot contender for pass of the season to put Saka through late on in the first half. Odegaard was, simply, too good for the opposition. And he has the potential to be too good for anyone when he's in this form.

Kai Havertz

Finally, I want to say a word for our Kai. £60mill clogging up the drainage system at London Colney while our boy scores again and again and again and again. His fifth, now, in all competitions.

What's most pleasing is to see him grow in confidence from performance to performance. He seems to win every aerial battle, is increasingly empowered to carry the ball up the park, and put his goal away with absolute aplomb.

The noise around Havertz ever since his signing has been absolutely deafening, but the vision is becoming increasingly clear. If Mikel Arteta has taught us anything these last few years, it is to trust in him.

To trust the process. Mikel signed Kai Havertz, and continued to implement him on the left side of our midfield in spite of the creeping doubts and growing discontent. And with time, it seems an ever-more-apparent wise decision.

I think it’s clear now that the Havertz-Rice-Odegaard trio is our strongest midfield outfit, and the link-up is more and more seamless with every passing outing.

So, queue the bellows of 'We are top of the league', the mince pies and the fairy lights.

Let's just hope Liverpool don't manage to spoil our Christmas cheer by knocking us o our perch next Saturday.

Maybe hope isn't the right word. Trust. Let's trust.