Premier League: Odegaard's First Strike Of Season, Own Goal Help Arsenal Beat Brighton 2-1

Premier League: Odegaard's first strike of season, own goal help Arsenal beat Brighton 2-1 (Image Source: IANS)

Former Gunner Danny Welbeck: Skipper Martin Odegaard scored his first goal of the season to help Arsenal prevail over Brighton 2-1 in a home match and moved back to the top of the Premier League table in London on Saturday.

Odegaard powered home from just outside the area before Georgino Rutter flicked into his own net from a Declan Rice set piece to double the Gunners' advantage. But Brighton fought back and levelled the score through a Diego Gomez goal in the 64th-minute. It took a stunning David Raya stop to deny Yankuba Minteh and preserve the precious three points, and take Arsenal to 42 points from 18 matches and preserved their two-point advantage over Manchester City.

In the crucial clash on Saturday, their second last match of 2025, Arsenal needed under two minutes to gain their first opportunity as a ball over the top from Leandro Trossard found Viktor Gyokeres, who outmuscled returning Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, only to side-foot his effort straight at Bart Verbruggen.

The Brighton stopper was kept a busy man in the opening exchanges, preventing Bukayo Saka from a tight angle after the Arsenal winger had raced past Maxim De Cuyper.

The Gunners made their efforts count after just 14 minutes with a fine finish from skipper Odegaard. The ball was played quickly out to Saka, who was able to find Odegaard in space on the edge of the box, and the Norwegian drilled his effort low, hard and beyond the Dutch stopper's reach. It was Odegaard's first goal since netting Arsenal's final goal of the 2024/25 campaign against Southampton.

There was no way out for the visitors as Arsenal continued to suffocate the Seagulls and look for more goals. Balls sent over the top were causing Fabian Hurzeler's side all sorts of problems, with Saka the main beneficiary, and the England international almost found Gyokeres with a low cross, but Jan Paul van Hecke was able to hook away.

A few more efforts by the Gunners did not produce any goals as Arsenal went in at half-time 1-0 up, having had 15 efforts at goal.

The home side were able to double their lead shortly after the restart when a quick move saw Trossard find Odegaard, but his effort was deflected over for a corner. From the resulting set piece, Declan Rice's inswinging corner was flicked into his own net by Georgino Rutter.

Arsenal continued to flow forward, with two efforts in quick succession, first from Gyokeres, thundering his effort from a tight angle straight at Verbruggen, before Saka's effort was deflected over the bar.

Despite their dominance, Arsenal were pegged back in the 64th minute through the returning Diego Gomez. Some good play from Minteh found Rutter, who laid off to Yasin Ayari, whose effort hit the post but only fell into the path of the Paraguayan, and he smacked his effort into the top corner.

Brighton sensed an equaliser and fashioned out another effort, but this time Arsenal's defenders were able to stand firm and block efforts from Ayari and Jack Hinshelwood. The efforts prompted a change which saw the return of Gabriel Magalhaes, making his first appearance since suffering an injury on international duty for Brazil in November.

Former Gunner Danny Welbeck came on, which gave the visitors a more focal point, and they almost found an equaliser, but for the brilliance of David Raya.

Brighton sensed an equaliser and fashioned out another effort, but this time Arsenal's defenders were able to stand firm and block efforts from Ayari and Jack Hinshelwood. The efforts prompted a change which saw the return of Gabriel Magalhaes, making his first appearance since suffering an injury on international duty for Brazil in November.

Arsenal will now take on Aston Villa on Tuesday (Dec 30) in a quick turnaround for their final match of the season.

Article Source: IANS