Odegaard shines as Arsenal officially reclaim the top spot in the Premier League

A thrilling victory over Brighton secured Arsenal an important 3 points, allowing them to surpass Man City and return to first place in the 2025/26 Premier League standings.

Arsenal entered the home match against Brighton under pressure to win, as Man City had already achieved a favorable result. From the opening minutes, the Emirates side pushed forward aggressively, controlling possession and consistently pressing the visitors' defense.

In the 4th minute, Bukayo Saka had a great chance when he broke through to face Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, but his shot was saved. However, Arsenal did not have to wait long. In the 14th minute, Saka once again sparked action with a skillful move on the right flank before passing back to Martin Odegaard, who calmly finished to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

After scoring, Arsenal maintained dominance. Mikel Arteta's team created additional significant chances, including a shot from Martin Zubimendi that hit the post and a close-range effort from Leandro Trossard that went over the bar. The first half ended with Arsenal holding a narrow advantage, while Brighton began to push back in the closing minutes.

In the second half, the tension increased. At the 50th minute, from a corner kick, Brighton’s Georginio Rutter accidentally headed into his own net while trying to clear, doubling Arsenal’s lead to 2-0. However, this advantage was short-lived. In the 64th minute, after a scramble in the penalty area, Diego Gomez quickly shot into an open goal, reducing the deficit to 2-1 for Brighton.

This goal made the remaining minutes intense. Brighton pushed forward to equalize, notably with a dangerous shot by Yankuba Minteh in the 77th minute that forced goalkeeper David Raya into an excellent save. On the other side, Arsenal had chances to seal the game through Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus but failed to capitalize.

The final moments saw numerous clashes, yellow cards, and escalating tension. Arsenal chose to slow the pace and protect their lead until the final whistle. The hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brighton gave Arsenal 42 points after 18 rounds, officially overtaking Man City to reclaim the Premier League summit and affirming their status as top contenders for this season’s title.

Team news Arsenal vs Brighton

• Arsenal:Dowman, Gabriel, Havertz, Mosquera, and White are injured.
• Brighton:Baleba is away on international duty. March, Tzimas, and Webster are injured. Van Hecke, Welbeck, and Wieffer are doubtful for the match.

Expected lineups Arsenal vs Brighton

• Arsenal:Raya, Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.
• Brighton:Verbruggen, Veltman, Dunk, Coppola, Kadioglu, Hinshelwood, Ayari, Minteh, Rutter, Gomez, Mitoma.

Form & Head-to-head record

• Arsenal form:In their last 5 matches, Arsenal won 3, drew 1, and lost 1. They scored 8 goals and conceded 4.
• Brighton form:In their last 5 matches, Brighton won 1, drew 2, and lost 2. They scored 6 goals and conceded 7.
• Head-to-head record:In the last 5 meetings, Arsenal won 3 and drew 2. Brighton drew 2 and lost 3.