FA Premier League
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0
ARSENAL 3 (Saka 33p, Havertz 62, Trossard 86)

MAYBE it’s a good time to play Brighton.

Normally, any encounter against the modern Seagulls is a potential slip-up for Arsenal, who had only won a third of their visits to the Amex Stadium before tonight.

But the hosts – stripped of some of their best players last summer – are looking in need of the season’s finish line, with manager Roberto De Zerbi looking like. an employee who won’t be here for another autumn on the Sussex seaside.

That all said, Arsenal’s opponents will have too soon stop making excuses for the team’s successes. It’s not all based on fortune and timing, as the Gunners have transformed from the panic-stricken league leaders of last season to a side who do not appear to fear any assignment.

There appears to be little self-doubt, no weariness about going away to teams in the top ten. It remains to be seen whether the same confidence is taken on the defining away trips to Wolves, Spurs and Manchester United in this title race – certainly they should used this evening’s professionalism at the Amex Stadium as the blueprint.

Brighton did display some familiarly nice passing moves and cut open one or two decent shooting opportunities, but Arsenal – despite the pressure of every game being a must win from here on in – always looked up for it from the moment Gabriel almost scored with a first minute header.

The breakthrough on the scoresheet came just after half an hour when Gabriel Jesus attempted to skip past Tariq Lamptey but was brought to the ground just inside the box by the Brighton right box. Lamptey certainly got a tickle on the ball but the challenge was rash.

Bukayo Saka, who missed a crucial penalty in final stages of the season last term in a drawn game with West Ham, showed more composure this time and tucked away the resulting penalty.

There was not too much to get worried about in the second half and the win looked all but assured when Arsenal, having spent a lot of the game trying to score the perfect passing goal, clicked all the right exchanges together to release Jorginho behind the Brighton defence. His clipped centre was converted by Kai Havertz, a striker who looks far more at home in this Arsenal set-up than he ever did in a blue shirt at Chelsea.

Late on there was an opportunity for Leandro Trossard, on as a sub, to silence the boos from Albion fans still angry about the manner in which he transferred between the two clubs.

A pass from Havertz set Trossard on his way to a one-on-one with keeper Bart Verbruggen and the Belgian is probably one of the most lethal players Arsenal have in front of goal. He veered right to create an angle and then punted the ball into the corner.

As the final whistle went, the south coast rain stopped and a rainbow appeared over the Downs. It was too early for crock of gold comments – with Liverpool yet to play and Manchester City already away winners at Crystal Palace.

Arteta said afterwards that all eight matches left on the card would be a challenge.

“We’re gonna have to play Aston Villa at home and that’s going to be a tough match,” he said of next weekend’s instalment of Premie League drama; it will come on the heels of a Champions League contest against Bayern Munich.

“Aston Villa are really good side. We have won 10 and drawn one in the last 11 and we’re not on top of the league. This is the level and as well, this is the reason why we have to improve so quickly as a team to try to be there.”

He added: “I think we are in a really good moment, we have the squad healthy with a really good energy, with a lot of confidence, individually and collectively, because they perform really well, and we are winning a lot of matches. We just have to carry on doing what we’re doing.”

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION Verbruggen, Lamptey, Estupinan, Van Hecke, Dunk, Baleba, Gross, Moder (Buonanotte 63), Enciso (Joao Pedro 63), Adingra, Welbeck (Fati 76)
SUBS NOT USED Barco, Igor, Lallana, Peupion, Steele, Veltman

ARSENAL  Raya, White, Zinchenko (Tomiyasu 72), Saliba, Gabriel, Jorginho, Rice, Odegaard (Vieira 89), Saka (Martinelli 64), Gabriel Jesus (Trossard 64), Havertz (Nketiah 89)
SUBS NOT USED Kiwior, Partey, Ramsdale, Smith Rowe