Arsenal 2-0 Brighton: Gunners move back to the top of the Premier League table

Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz were enough to seal a vital victory for the Gunners against Brighton

Find out who impressed with our Gooner Fanzine Player Ratings

Arsenal Player Ratings

David Raya: 6/10 - Relentlessly unconvincing. Not least when spilling Simon Adringa’s cross moments before half time. You couldn’t even insist his distribution statistics were excellent, because to the eye – if not to an analysts’ ipad,  the 28-year-old Brentford loanee kept ceding possession in another underwhelming display. But there’s nothing to worry about because the hipsters tell us keepers aren’t just there to keep the ball out of the net anymore – its far more ‘nuanced’ than that apparently…

Ben White: 7/10 - Benny Blanco went into referee Tim Robinson’s book after puling back the talented Kaoru Mitoma

Gabriel: 7/10 - First half header tested Seagulls keeper Bert Verbruggen

Wiliam Saliba: 7/10 - A class act. Solid and reliable with pace to burn and an excellent understanding of the game

Oleksandr Zinchenko: 7/10 - Never seems as impressive as a mere left-back until he steps into midfield to help bolster numbers while acting as an attacking conduit

Martin Odegaard: The Gunners captain celebrated his 25th birthday with three points if not a birthday goal, not least when Segulls keeper Bert Verbruggen palmed away a powerful second half effort

Declan Rice: 8/10 - World Class. Has improved Arsenal so much since his £105m arrival from West Ham – with still so much to come both offensively and defensively, not least when we will be presented with a permanent partner as a defensive pivot

Kai Havertz: 7.5/10 - So fluid on the ball while his off the ball movement is growing. Headed Martinelli’s cross over the bar when well-placed with 15 minutes remaining. Wonderful to see the German international power through late on to finish with aplomb in confident style 

Gabriel Jesus: 7.5/10 -  Became Arsenal’s saviour when heading home on 53 minutes to open the scoring. Deserved his warm-round of applause when replaced by Eddie Nketiah with 10 minutes remaining 

Bukayo Saka: 7.5/10 - Was the target of appallingly agricultural challenges, not least from the soon to be 38-year-old James Milner – who crudely brought down the England international as he was about to have been exposed by Saka’s pace. Unsurprising considering Saka would have been barely a year old when the teenage Milner made his Premier League debut more than two decades ago, back in 2002.

Gabi Martinelli: 7.5/10 - Fired over in the first half from Saka’s pull back. Always lively. Never allowed the Seagulls backline to settle.

Substitutes:

SUB: Eddie Nketiah (81' for Jesus) - 7/10

Replaced opening goalscorer Jesus in a double substitution on 80 minutes

SUB: Leandro Trossard (81' for Martinelli) - 7/10 - 

Came on for Martinelli with 10 minutes remaining 

SUB: Emile Smith Rowe (89' for Havertz) - N/A

SUB: Reiss Nelson (89' for Saka) - N/A

SUB: Jakub Kiwior (90' for Zinchenko) - N/A