Bukayo Saka scored inside 10 minutes as Arsenal continued their title push with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday night.
The England international was making his 300th appearance for the club and capped the milestone with the only goal of the game, moving them closer to a first Premier League title since 2004.
The Gunners went into the encounter with a four point lead over Manchester City, who had played a game less, but will be more satisfied after the match as the Cityzens dropped point in a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest in their own encounter.
Gabriel Magalhaes produced a stunning headed goal-line clearance to prevent Carlos Baleba from giving Brighton the lead early in the clash after a mistake by goalkeeper David Raya.
Saka then opened the scoring when his shot deflected off Baleba and went past Bart Verbruggen in Brighton’s goal to give Arsenal a 1-0 advantage.
The goal took his tally to 79, as well as 69 assists for the Gunners in his 300th appearance, placing him in an elite list.
Brighton came close to an equalizer, but were denied by resilient defending from Gabriel, while Kaoru Mitoma blocked an effort from his own teammate.
Saka came close in the second half for Arsenal, but his effort was wide off the mark, before substitute Kai Havertz’s effort was well saved by Verbruggen.
Despite Brighton’s attempts to snatch a point in the clash, the league leaders held on for a gritty win at the American Express Stadium.
Arsenal moved up to 67 points after 30 matches, seven ahead of second-placed Manchester City who dropped points at home to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Mikel Arteta’s side will next be in action against Mansfield in the FA Cup fifth round, before facing Bayer Leverkusen next week in their Champions League Round of 16 clash.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
