Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Brighton on Saturday gives fans genuine hope that they won’t fail if the theory that their away performance in the final stretch of the season could determine their title prospects is correct.
In what appears to be the most closely contested Premier League title chase in history, every game will matter, but Arsenal’s visit to the Amex Stadium marks the second of a string of difficult road tests that will punctuate the final few weeks like banana skins in the road.
Arsenal displayed their discipline once more at Brighton, following up their impressive defensive perseverance to earn a draw at Manchester City the previous Saturday. This time, though, the Gunners’ attack carried more strength, bringing back memories of the beginning of 2024, when they were decisively defeating opponents with ease. This year, they have yet to trail in a league game for even a single minute.
To win the first half, Arsenal did require a penalty kick from Bukayo Saka in the 33rd minute. Even though the Gunners had far more opportunities, they still appeared vulnerable when Brighton coordinated their deft push with more incisive passing.
Nevertheless, Arsenal mostly maintained a comfortable distance between themselves and the home team. Their closest encounter occurred just before halftime, when goalie David Raya had to make an incredible save at full stretch to deny Julio Enciso. With the stakes in play, the Gunners assumed control in the second half with a level of power normally reserved for Manchester City or Liverpool.
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Kai Havertz kept up his amazing streak of making a major impact on games, scoring his second goal on 62 minutes and setting up the third goal late on when replacement Leandro Trossard broke free on a counterattack and finished deftly over Bart Verbruggen.
Naturally, winning here does not make it any easier to travel to Wolves, Tottenham, or Manchester United for away games. However, they played with conviction against a Brighton squad that hadn’t dropped a league game since August, which gives them more confidence and sets a bar for them to meet in the remaining games.
Arsenal prospect in future events
When questioned about whether a victory like this could boost his players’ confidence for the upcoming away games on Saturday, Arteta admittedly felt encouraged by their performance.
“In the end, performances are what matter. In this league, you have to earn the privilege of winning games. In order to win away from home in a Premier League match, the teams ask you a lot of questions and require you to control a lot of things. It appears that the team is handling those situations much better.
“At various points during the game, when the opposing teams have demanded additional things, we have felt at ease. As a team, that’s a huge stride.
Havertz never quite won over fans at Stamford Bridge, despite helping Chelsea win the 2021 Champions League and scored the game-winning goal versus City in the final. According to people close to the player, the player struggled with injuries as well as the demands of playing for many managers as the Blues went from Thomas Tuchel to Graham Potter and finally Frank Lampard.
Nonetheless, Havertz was frequently mocked for playing centre forward when wearing a Chelsea shirt, but Arteta has brought consistency to his game. The 24-year-old has only been playing consistently through the middle for around two months, but already in his past seven starts, he has contributed three assists and five goals, which is really useful.
Havertz’s greatest return in an English season is nine goals in the league. He could end up being the striker that a lot of people wanted Arsenal to sign in January.
Conclusion
Even if they still depend on Liverpool giving up points over the next several weeks in order to win their first championship since 2004, it is hard to argue with this proof.
Not long after the game ended, a rainbow appeared above the stand that held Arsenal’s away fans. If there is a pot of gold at the end of it, only time will tell, but for now, the Gunners are enjoying their away days far more than anyone had anticipated.