Brighton vs Arsenal – LIVE!

Arsenal maintained their Premier League title charge as goals by Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard secured a masterful 3-0 victory at Brighton and Hove Albion that sent them back to the top of the table on Saturday. Manchester City's earlier victory had dropped Arsenal into third place, but they responded in emphatic fashion to clear what had looked like a tricky obstacle in style.

Brighton started strongly but Arsenal soon settled, and Saka converted a penalty in the 33rd minute after Tariq Lamptey was adjudged to have clipped Gabriel Jesus in the area. Arsenal were a constant threat going forward and the away fans were in full voice after Kai Havertz scored from close range from Jorginho's cut back in the 62nd minute.

Former Brighton player Trossard, on as a substitute, wrapped up the points late on with a solo effort.Follow all the action LIVE with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog! Simon Collings will be providing expert analysis from the ground!

Brighton vs Arsenal latest news

• GOAL! Trossard wraps up the points

• GOAL! Havertz doubles up

• GOAL! Saka fires home from penalty spot

Player ratings

19:43 , Alex Young

Here are Simon Collings’ player ratings.

Full-time!

19:30 , Alex Young

97min: That’s it! A very impressive away win for Arsenal, who return to the top of the table.

19:26 , Alex Young

91min: Five minutes added on.

19:23 , Alex Young

88min: Rice wants in on the action, forcing a save with a low drive to win a corner.

GOAL!

19:21 , Alex Young

86min: Trossard wraps it up! Running through from his own half to chip over the Brighton keeper.

This win is a bit ‘hallmark of champions’ for me.

19:20 , Alex Young

85min: Arsenal just sitting back, confident Brighton will continue to struggle to lay a glove on them.

19:16 , Alex Young

80min: Saliba booked for taking back to the referee.

19:14 , Alex Young

Havertz’s goal was the 1000th scored in the Premier League this season.

19:13 , Alex Young

78min: White goes down in a heap after kicking Buonanotte while clearing the ball. The Brighton man looked to get the full brunt of that, but both will be fine.

19:11 , Alex Young

76min: Welbeck is replaced by Fati.

19:06 , Alex Young

71min: Trossard tries his luck from distance, and his daisy-cutter almost catches out the Brighton keeper at his bottom right-hand corner.

19:03 , Alex Young

69min: Arsenal happy to sit back, and why not.

19:00 , Alex Young

65min: Arsenal also make a double change. Saka and Jesus replaced by Trossard and Martinelli.

18:59 , Alex Young

64min: Double change for Brighton. Moder and Enciso off for Buonanotte and Pedro.

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

18:58 , Alex Young

Perfect timing for Arsenal to score, with Arteta already lining up a double sub. Saka wrapped into cotton wool until Tuesday now.

GOAL!

18:57 , Alex Young

62min: A huge goal at a crucial moment! Havertz tucks home from close range after a neat cutback from Jorginho.

A long way back for Brighton.

18:56 , Alex Young

61min: Martinelli and Trossard being prepared.

18:55 , Alex Young

60min: Joao Pedro is warming up for Brighton.

18:53 , Alex Young

59min: The more Arsenal retreat, the more Brighton are growing in confidence. Enciso fires over with a speculative volley from a corner.

18:50 , Alex Young

55min: Arsenal have lost a bit of their urgency since the opening minutes of the second half.

18:47 , Alex Young

52min: White slows down to shoulder barge Estupinan, who then hits out in reaction so the Arsenal defender hits the deck.

A bizarre sequence of events.

18:44 , Alex Young

50min: Heart-in-mouth time for Brighton as Van Hecke is nearly sold short in the area with Havertz ready to pounce, but the defender mops up the weak pass well.

18:43 , Alex Young

48min: Another great cross from Havertz, another great chance for Jesus at the back post... another wayward header.

Second half!

18:39 , Alex Young

46min: Back underway.

18:35 , Alex Young

Brighton have lost just once at home all season. They will need to improve to keep that record intact.

18:28 , Alex Young

Saka’s penalty is the difference but Arsenal have largely been in control since the off.

Plenty of chances, plenty of misses, until Jesus was fouled by Lamptey.

More of the same from Arsenal in the second half, and this should be a routine win.

Half-time

18:24 , Alex Young

53min: There’s the whistle!

18:22 , Alex Young

51min: De Zerbi holding a pained expression as half-time approaches. His team somewhat hanging on for the break.

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

18:21 , Alex Young

Jesus' defensive work - like at Man City - has been excellent. Pressing and tracking back so well. Been vital for Arsenal.

18:19 , Alex Young

48min: Almost a howler from Dunk as he lets the ball drop near the goal and Havertz sticks out a boot to direct the ball towards goal but there is not a team-mate on hand to tap home.

18:17 , Alex Young

46min: Seven minutes added on.

18:16 , Alex Young

44min: Super effort from Enciso, cutting in and bending a fine shot at the far top corner which Raya does well to push wide.

18:14 , Alex Young

43min: He looks in some pain but will be continuing.

18:13 , Alex Young

42min: Gabriel is now down and in need of treatment.

18:11 , Alex Young

38min: Arsenal already look calmer in their play, pinging the ball around with more ease than before the goal.

18:07 , Alex Young

That will settle any growing nerves on the Arsenal bench.

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

18:06 , Alex Young

Part of the press box here has been replaced with Tunnel Club tickets this season. Let's just say they aren't happy with that penalty call...

GOAL!

18:04 , Alex Young

33min: Saka makes no mistake from 12 yards. A gift for the Gunners.

PENALTY TO ARSENAL!

18:03 , Alex Young

31min: Lamptey wipes out Jesus!

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

17:59 , Alex Young

Raya popping a few painkillers during a break in play now. Seems to be feeling the effect of that collision with Lamptey.

17:57 , Alex Young

26min: Lamptey does down in the area after battling with Zinchenko for the ball. VAR check for a penalty but nothing doing.

17:56 , Alex Young

24min: Brighton are trying to bypass Rice and Jorginho in midfield with crosses from deep. Working so far.

17:53 , Alex Young

21min: Oof, Gross playing with fire by holding on to Gabriel at a corner as the defender falls to the pitch. It’s not a foul but it’s close.

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

17:52 , Alex Young

Arsenal have got to take one of these chances. That's four or five they've let slip now. A throwback to the days around the turn of the year, this.

17:50 , Alex Young

19min: Arsenal fans are screaming for a penalty as White and Estupinan take a tumble in the area, but it is the Arsenal defender with the foul.

17:47 , Alex Young

15min: Deary me. Havertz does so well to find Jesus at the far post but the striker’s header is a good 10 yards wide.

He is not a natural finisher.

17:45 , Alex Young

13min: Another chance for Arsenal as Saka spots Jesus on the edge of the area... and he forces the Brighton keeper into a superb one-handed save.

17:44 , Alex Young

12min: Arsenal click for the first time as White sends Saka down the right, he cuts inside and bends a shot the wrong side of the far post.

17:41 , Alex Young

9min: Another smart break from Brighton, starting from the goalkeeper to Adingra on the right who finds Ensico through the centre... who fires into Row Z from the edge of the area.

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

17:39 , Alex Young

The pitch looks pretty slow and heavily watered. Gabriel with a loose pass to Saliba there and Arsenal almost made to pay.

17:39 , Alex Young

7min: Gabriel looks to have fouled Adingra as Brighton try to break through Welbeck, but the referee isn’t interested. More Brighton groans.

17:37 , Alex Young

6min: Play restarts with a drop ball as Jorginho waits to come on.

17:36 , Alex Young

4min: Pause in play as Jorginho hits the deck inside his own penalty area. He’ll be fine as the Brighton fans groan.

17:34 , Alex Young

2min: Oh, Gabriel should score! Odegaard whips in a beauty of a cross and the centre-back beats the goalkeeper and heads the wrong side of the post.

A sitter after a minute!

17:33 , Alex Young

2min: Oh, Gabriel should score! Odegaard whips in a beauty of a cross and the centre-back beats the goalkeeper and heads the wrong side of the post.

A sitter after a minute!

Kick-off!

17:31 , Alex Young

1min: Up and running!

17:29 , Alex Young

Teams are out!

Simon Collings at Amex Stadium

17:24 , Alex Young

The Arsenal executives have just arrived today - and Keir Starmer is with them. He's a big Arsenal fan and season ticket holder.

De Zerbi to Sky Sports

17:22 , Alex Young

“Arsenal are a top team in the Premier League. They have incredible players and an incredible style of play,they score a lot of goals and do not concede many

“It is a tough game for us. We have an ambition to stay at this level in the table.”

Mikel Arteta to Sky Sports

17:20 , Alex Young

“[Bukayo] Saka has been training good.

“The games are coming thick and fast, we have a big task today to beat Brighton. We have to be better than them in order to do that.”

I feel the final sentence is fairly obvious, but good on Mikel to point it out.

17:16 , Alex Young

Final preparations ahead of kick-off.

17:11 , Alex Young

Raya is looking for a fifth straight clean sheet on the road today, which would equal the club record set way back in 1997.

16:58 , Alex Young

Here’s Simon Collings checking in.

16:46 , Alex Young

Brighton make five changes from the goalless draw at Brentford in midweek. Welbeck, Lamptey, Estupinan, Enciso and Moder are recalled.

As expected, Saka starts for Arsenal in one of four changes. Rice, Jorginho and Jesus are also back in after the win over Luton.

Team news in full

16:39 , Alex Young

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan, Baleba, Moder, Enciso, Gross, Adingra, Welbeck

Subs: Igor, Joao Pedro, Lallana, Barco, Steele, Fati, Veltman, Buonanotte, Peupion

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Jesus

Subs: Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Partey, Smith Rowe, Vieira, Trossard, Martinelli, Nketiah

Brighton XI

16:36 , Alex Young

...and the hosts!

Arsenal XI

16:30 , Alex Young

Here’s how the Gunners look.

16:20 , Alex Young

Jesus ahead of Martinelli in attack. Full line-up to be confirmed shortly.

16:09 , Alex Young

Gabriel Jesus is expected to start. Team news to be confirmed in 20 minutes.

16:03 , Alex Young

A special guest at the Amex this afternoon.

15:58 , Alex Young

It sounds like Saka starts this afternoon.

15:55 , Alex Young

Mikel Arteta insists Emile Smith Rowe remains part of his plans at Arsenal and has backed the midfielder to use his injury hell as fuel.

Smith Rowe burst onto the scene under Arteta in 2020 and signed a five-year contract with Arsenal a year later, taking the No10 shirt.

Since then, however, the 23-year-old has been hit by injuries and, even when fit, he has struggled for minutes.

Smith Rowe was handed only his fourth start of the season on Wednesday and impressed during a 2-0 win over Luton.

And asked if he still has a part to play in his project at Arsenal, Arteta said: “Yeah.

“I just look at him and what happened in the last seasons especially, but what happened three seasons [ago] as well.

“Take all that. It is the best thing that could have happened for him in his career - if he uses it the right way now. So, don’t look back and say: ‘Ah, if, if’.

“No, this happened, use it. ‘That was the best thing that could have happened, I had great moments, I had difficult moments, now I know what I want, how to deal with that. That is going to make me a much better player’.

“And, you could see, the hell of a player that we have in him when he is fit and he is playing at that level.”

Read more: Arteta hands Smith Rowe new hope over Arsenal future in injury message

15:37 , Alex Young

Will Bukayo Saka start tonight? Mikel Arteta has no fears over the player suffering with burnout and has backed him to “fly” during the title run-in.

Saka, who is currently nursing a muscle issue and missed the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Luton on Wednesday night, has played more minutes than any of Arsenal’s other attackers so far this season, but Arteta is not worried.

“I am super positive. I think he is going to fly and be so decisive,” said the Gunners boss, when asked if he fears Saka potentially burning out.

“I think [my confidence is] because he is so strong, how much he wants it when you talk to him and how excited he is about what is coming.

“He wants to be there and he is getting better and better. It is normal, you have little niggles, you have kicks.

“He has gone through a lot of that in the last two or three years, and look at the way he is performing.”

Read more here: Arteta addresses key Saka fear in fresh Arsenal fitness update

De Zerbi full of praise for Arteta

15:25 , Alex Young

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi reiterated his belief Arsenal are the best team in the Premier League.

De Zerbi expressed his opinion the Gunners are the division's standout team following Albion's 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium in December.

Asked if he still holds that view, the Italian replied: "Yes.

"Liverpool are another great team, different characteristics, different characteristic of the players, different style; City are close with the style of Arsenal.

"But I think when Arsenal play well, it's very tough for all.

"You can understand my words because Arsenal won 3-1 against Liverpool (in February), won against City at home (in October), in the Champions League they are doing very well."

15:19 , Alex Young

It is a sign of how much Arsenal have grown this season that Oleksandr Zinchenko is back fit, yet his place in the team is not guaranteed.

Such a situation would have been unthinkable last season, when it was hard to argue there was a player more crucial to the way Arsenal play than the Ukrainian.

Zinchenko transformed the Gunners' style, tucking in from left-back so they could dominate the midfield to devastating effect.

This season, however, the 27-year-old has had to battle calf problems and, in his absence, Arsenal have excelled. Most recently, Jakub Kiwior has impressed, while another option, Takehiro Tomiyasu, was rewarded with a new contract last month due to his fine form.

Zinchenko returned to the team for Wednesday's 2-0 win over Luton, making his first start since February. The victory sent Arsenal back to the top of the table, before Liverpool leapfrogged them on Thursday night by beating Sheffield United, but Zinchenko is by no means certain to keep his place for Saturday’s trip to Brighton.

Read more here: Why unique Zinchenko is Arsenal game-changer despite defensive fears

15:07 , Alex Young

Manchester City’s 4-2 win at Crystal Palace means Arsenal head to the south coast two points off the pace but with this game in hand over the champions.

Win tonight and it’s back on top for the Gunners... until Liverpool face Manchester United, of course.

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta delivers fresh verdict on Premier League title race

14:59 , Jonathan Gorrie

Mikel Arteta believes it is “very unlikely” that Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City finish the title race by all winning their remaining games.

The trio are battling it out for the Premier League and just three points separates leaders Liverpool and City in third.

After Arsenal played City last weekend, none of the title rivals will face each other again in the final eight games.

But despite that, Arteta does not believe that all of the three sides will finish the season with a perfect record across their remaining matches.

Read the full story here!

Brighton vs Arsenal: Latest Premier League odds today

14:54 , Jonathan Gorrie

Brighton to win: 17/4

Arsenal to win: 8/13

Draw: 16/5

Odds via Bet365 (subject to change).

Brighton vs Arsenal: Head to head (h2h) history and results

14:54 , Jonathan Gorrie

Brighton wins: 8

Arsenal wins: 16

Draws: 5

Brighton vs Arsenal: Premier League score prediction today

14:50 , Jonathan Gorrie

Brighton are unbeaten in 12 home fixtures but Arsenal should be able to outstrength them and keep speed in the title race

Arsenal to win, 2-1.

Arsenal team news vs Brighton today

14:49 , Jonathan Gorrie

Bukayo Saka should return for the Gunners. The 22-year-old was unavailable against Luton after picking up a knock in last week’s stalemate with Manchester City. Declan Rice and Gabriel Martinelli are expected to return, too.

Jurrien Timber is nearing a return but is still not fit enough to feature.

Brighton team news vs Arsenal today

14:49 , Jonathan Gorrie

Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Adam Webster, Billy Gilmour, Jack Hinshelwood, Solly March, and James Milner are sidelined for the hosts. Ansu Fati and Valentin Barco are available.

Brighton vs Arsenal: TV channel and live stream

14:48 , Jonathan Gorrie

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage beginning at 5pm BST.

Live stream: Subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.

Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Simon Collings at the ground.

Welcome

14:44 , Jonathan Gorrie

Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Brighton.

The Gunners now sit third in the League but can move top with a victory on the south coast.

Kick-off from the Amex Stadium is at 5.30pm BST.