Arsenal vs Brighton score, result, highlights as Havertz scores again in dominant Premier League win

Kyle Bonn

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Arsenal vs Brighton score, result, highlights as Havertz scores again in dominant Premier League win image

Arsenal managed to put themselves top of the Premier League table, but the Gunners made it far more difficult than needed as they pummeled Brighton & Hove Albion across 90 minutes of sublime action at Emirates Stadium but only skated by via a nervy 2-0 scoreline.

It was a truly dominant performance from start to finish, but Mikel Arteta watched helplessly as his Gunners wasted chance after chance, thwarted persistently by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and the brave visiting defenders who threw themselves in front of chances en masse.

As the game crossed halftime without a breakthrough, Gabriel Jesus finally managed to put Arsenal in front on 53 minutes with a header off a corner, but it wasn't quite signed and sealed just yet. The chances continued to flow for the hosts, but they remained baffled in front of goal.

With Brighton managing to weather the storm, Pascal Gross had their only real chance in front of net, a huge moment in the game as he put a massive opportunity wide with under 10 minutes remaining. Put on notice, the Gunners then wasted no time sealing the three points, as Kai Havertz finally put the match out of reach with three minutes to go in regulation.

The victory sent Arsenal atop the standings, if only just for a few hours, as Liverpool host Manchester United with an opportunity to leap-frog back in front. Still, it's job done for Arteta and his players as they put the pressure on and escaped unscathed from a match that could have ended in a more damaging manner.

The Sporting News followed the Arsenal vs. Brighton match live, providing score updates, commentary, and highlights as they happened.

MORE: Arsenal vs Brighton head to head: Have the Seagulls got the Gunners' number?

Arsenal vs Brighton final score

  Score Goal scorers
Arsenal 2 Jesus (53'),
Havertz (87')
Brighton 0 —

Kickoff: 2 p.m. local (9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT)
Location: Emirates Stadium (London, England)
Referee: Tim Robinson

Starting lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 22. Raya (GK) — 4. White, 2. Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 35. Zinchenko (Kiwior, 90') — 8. Odegaard, 41. Rice, 29. Havertz (Smith-Rowe, 89') — 7. Saka (Nelson, 89'), 9. Jesus (Nketiah, 81'), 11. Martinelli (Trossard, 82').

Brighton (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Verbruggen (GK) — 34. Veltman (Hinshelwood, 27'), 29. Van Hecke, 5. Dunk, 6. Milner (Igor, 60') — 13. Gross, 11. Gilmour — 24. Adingra (Welbeck, 79'), 14. Lallana (Buonanotte, 60'), 22. Mitoma — 28. Ferguson (Pedro, 60').

Arsenal vs Brighton live updates, highlights, and commentary

FULLTIME: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

That's the full-time whistle, and Arsenal secure three points, even if it was more nervy than needed! The Gunners finish the match with a whopping 26 shots to Brighton's six, absolutely pummeling Bart Verbruggen's net. The Brighton goalkeeper performed admirably but was unable to fully stem the flood of chances.

For now, Arsenal go top of the table. Liverpool can go back in front with a win against Manchester United in a few hours, but regardless, the Gunners will be pleased with the performance and result today. It's the first time Brighton have been held off the scoresheet in Premier League play in almost a year, a very impressive clean sheet.

Arsenal vs Brighton: Second Half

90+3 min: Chance, Arsenal! Emile Smith Rowe has a chance from eight yards out but scuffs his volleyed effort right at Bart Verbruggen.

87th min: GOAL! ARSENAL! Kai Havertz finally seals the three points for Arsenal! Eddie Nketiah gets on the ball in space through the middle, and with options abound, he picks out Havertz to his left who finishes from a tight angle, with a shot that Bart Verbruggen just made a save on moments ago against Rice, but can't replicate his stop here.

After the goal, Mikel Arteta can finally breathe easy, and he withdraws Bukayo Saka and the goalscorer Havertz, replaced by Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe. Pascal Gross is booked for dissent before the restart, and six minutes of added time is shown.

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84th min: Chance, Arsenal! What a save Bart Verbruggen again! Declan Rice sends Pascal Gross for a hot dog on the touchline near midfield and carries it all the way forward himself, ending up in a good shooting position from a tight angle, but Verbruggen gets his leg out to stop the effort which was set to tuck inside the far post.

83rd min: Chance, Brighton! PASCAL GROSS MISSES WITH THE CHANCE TO EQUALISE! Brighton have worked so hard to weather this Arsenal storm, knowing they're one moment from stealing a point, but as the cross pings in from the left, Gross slides in to meet it at the near post and touches it wide of the net! He has to score!

79th min: Danny Welbeck enters for Brighton in place of Simon Adingra, who spent much of his shift man-marking Oleksandar Zinchenko. Mikel Arteta counters with his first change of the match, bringing Eddie Nketiah into the action.

75th min: Chance, Arsenal! Declan Rice heads just over the crossbar! More chances go begging as Gabriel Martinelli flicks a cross to the head of the Arsenal midfielder, but it's put just over!

In the aftermath Billy Gilmour is harshly booked after a tackle in midfield where he wins the ball but is nonetheless punished.

74th min: Chance, Arsenal! WHAT A SAVE BY BART VERBRUGGEN! The Gunners with another absolutely vicious counter-attack, run by Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard pings a shot that's seeking the top-left corner, but Verbruggen gets an outstretched hand to it! That's a superb stop! Arsenal should have about five goals but have just the one!

68th min: Chance, Arsenal! LEWIS DUNK OFF THE LINE! Gabriel Martinelli swings in a dangerous corner, and it meets Ben White's head at the near post for a flick that's destined for the back of the net, but Dunk heads it clear right as it nears the goal mouth!

64th min: Chance, Arsenal! Brighton have their first half-chance of the game on goal, but Jack Hinshelwood's header is weak and right at David Raya.

The Gunners' goalkeeper springs an immediate counter by throwing to Gabriel Martinelli down the left, and Arsenal break dangerously. It swings around the other side and results in a Bukayo Saka shot on goal which hits the side netting!

60th min: After going behind, Brighton are making a triple substitution. Adam Lallana, Evan Ferguson, and James Milner are off, with Joao Pedro, Facundo Buonanotte, and Igor are on to replace them.

If this was a planned trio of changes on the hour mark, that's fine, but if Roberto De Zerbi was waiting for the opening goal to make his wholesale substitutions, that's managerial malpractice. That goal had been coming for nigh on an hour.

53rd min: GOAL! ARSENAL! Gabriel Jesus finally has the ball in the net for Arsenal, heading home at the far post off the corner! The initial delivery is met at the near post by a Brighton defender but only flicked across the face of goal where Jesus is all alone unmarked for the easy finish in the empty net. It's still a good reflex shot by Jesus to adjust to the deflection!

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52nd min: Chance, Arsenal! HOW HAVE THE GUNNERS NOT SCORED? Off a bad Brighton turnover in their own third, Martin Odegaard gets on the ball at the top of the six-yard box but is dispossessed out for a corner before he can get a shot off.

50th min: Brighton have managed more sustained time on the ball than they did in the first half, but yet to create anything concrete. Arsenal remain a threat with their high press, which Brighton are inviting but not handling terribly well.

Kickoff: They're under way for the second half at The Emirates. No changes are made, as Roberto De Zerbi trusts his starters to turn this around, while Arsenal will hope to finally find the breakthrough they deserve.

HALFTIME: Arsenal 0-0 Brighton

The Gunners controlled the entirety of the first 45 minutes, but have nothing to show for it. They did everything but score through the whole first half, ripping off 15 shots but putting just three on frame, all of which Bart Verbruggen handled.

There's a reckoning for both teams here at the break as Arsenal will wish to put better shots on target, while Brighton must change something to relieve this constant pressure. The Gunners deserved a goal, but we all know that's not how this sport works.

Arsenal vs Brighton: First Half

45+3 min: With four minutes of stoppage time to navigate, Brighton are once again under heavy siege. Arsenal pummel the Brighton defence with shots, but they're all blocked away as the visitors yet again survive. It's an onslaught as the half comes to a close.

43rd min: The referee is almost bullied into giving Karou Mitoma a yellow card for fouling Bukayo Saka. He drags the England international back, and it first appears Tim Robinson won't be handing out a booking, but then after massive protests from both Saka and Mikel Arteta, he goes to the pocket.

39th min: Chance, Arsenal! A great save by Bart Verbruggen keeps Arsenal out! Martin Odegaard again scythes up the Brighton defensive line with a wonderful vertical ball but Gabriel Martinelli's tight-angle shot from the left!

38th min: Ben White is the first player booked as he stops a Brighton counter-attack.

32nd min: Chance, Arsenal! Gabriel Martinelli skies a glorious chance! Martin Odegaard feeds a sensational outside-of-the-boot vertical ball into the path of a racing Bukayo Saka, and he cuts it back for Martinelli who, under pressure from John Paul van Hecke, tries to redirect the ball into the net but sails it into the London sky!

31st min: A bit of exceptional defending by Lewis Dunk sees a cross destined for Gabriel Jesus on the doorstep chested back by the defender to his goalkeeper while sliding to meet the ball. That's extremely skillful from the Brighton centre-back under real pressure.

27th min: Joel Veltman can't continue, which isn't surprising, as he just wasn't moving terribly well since the injury. He walks off in frustration and is replaced by Jack Hinshelwood, with the injured man walking straight down the tunnel.

23rd min: Chance, Arsenal! After an Arsenal corner is turned away momentarily, Oleksandar Zinchenko floats it to the far post where Gabriel is lurking, and he rises high to meet it over a Brighton defender, but again it's poked right at Bart Verbruggen.

The Gunners can't seem to find spaces past the Brighton goalkeeper with their chances. If the visitors build themselves back into this match and Arsenal lose their chokehold on the passage of play, they'll regret these missed opportunities.

22nd min: There's an issue for Brighton here as Joel Veltman, a very important cog in the Roberto De Zerbi machine, is down receiving treatment on his right leg. May have come from a step in on Gabriel Martinelli. Hopefully it's not a knee injury, which could require a lengthy time on the touchline.

He tests it out as he heads to the touchline, and it appears that for now, he'll be staying on.

19th min: Gabriel Jesus has a go on goal, and the effort is very tame. Mikel Arteta won't be happy about that one, wasting possession by needlessly passing the all right into the arms of Bart Verbruggen. It's been a frustrating season for Jesus, and it's starting to show on the surface a bit. He'll need more creativity or more venom to put that in the back of the net.

16th min: James Milner is very lucky not to earn a booking, scything the Arsenal forward down to ground with an aggressive and overt lunge. The referee has a very long talk with Milner, and lets him off the hook, but makes it very clear he's on thin ice.

15th min: Chance, Arsenal! Arsenal have Brighton completely under siege. Martin Odegaard is the latest Gunner to come close, cutting laterally along the top of the penalty area and firing a left-footed shot just wide of the far post. The opener is coming, probably soon, unless Brighton can relieve this early wave of pressure. It's just too much to handle for 90 minutes, or even 45.

12th min: Bukayo Saka tries to make something for himself, running at James Milner again, this time cutting inside onto his left and cutting a shot on goal, but it's a weak effort easily scooped up off the pitch by Bart Verbruggen.

6th min: Chance, Arsenal! Bukayo Saka gets down to the byline past James Milner and carves Brighton open, cutting it to Gabriel Jesus from point blank range, but his cutback is too hot for the stumbling Brazilian to handle and the Brighton defensive unit hoofs it clear without a shot! That's so close for the Gunners who nearly find the opener!

3rd min: Arsenal are flooding men forward and turning Brighton over in dangerous positions. It nearly creates a chance for the Gunners as they get on the ball at the top of the six-yard box, but Brighton scramble in time to prevent a shot. The visitors are under early pressure at The Emirates!

Kickoff: They're under way at The Emirates! Arsenal can go top of the table with a win to put pressure on Liverpool ahead of their rivalry match with Man United, while Brighton can leap the Red Devils into seventh if they can manage to collect even just a point.

Arsenal vs Brighton: Pre-match commentary, analysis, stats, and more

15 mins to kickoff: David Raya is back in goal for Arsenal, after Aaron Ramsdale took charge of the midweek Europa League matchup against PSV. He's clearly the No. 1 goalkeeper for Arsenal right now, but it hasn't been the smoothest of transitions. Will he manage to keep a good attacking side at bay today?

Kickoff around the corner!

30 mins to kickoff: Pascal Gross has been one of the league's most unheralded chance creators this campaign. Why isn't he being talked about more? Because he doesn't rack up huge numbers. Yet he has five assists, two behind the league leaders, and his most valuable asset is in progressing moves forward, which is utterly critical in Roberto De Zerbi's transitional system.

Take a look at his radar below compared to Martin Odegaard, two players who will face off today.

Team news

With one hour until kickoff, lineups are announced. Arsenal are unchanged from the 1-0 loss to Aston Villa, although Jorginho misses out on a place in the squad due to a foot injury.

Meanwhile, Brighton name former Gunners striker Danny Welbeck among the substitutes, with Kaoru Mitoma fit to start.

1 hour 30 mins prior to kickoff: The Gunners don't have a particularly good record against Brighton, particularly in the Premier League era. Roberto De Zerbi will hope to continue that trend today.

2 hours prior to kickoff: Arsenal host Brighton today looking to take advantage of Manchester City's draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Arsenal vs Brighton lineups

Arteta rotated his team for the trip to Eindhoven with key players given a break on the back of a busy schedule. However, he recalled his regular Premier League starters for this game with Gabriel Martinelli also back following illness.

Mohamed Elneny is set for another spell on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury on his return to action in the Netherlands.

Arsenal lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Rice, Havertz — Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.

Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton injury list remains unchanged ahead of this game with Ansu Fati, Pervis Estupinan and Solly March all ruled out until 2024. James Milner starts at left-back, with Kaoru Mitoma fit to return to the starting XI and former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck on the bench.

Brighton lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): erbruggen (GK) — Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Milner — Gross, Gilmour — Adingra, Lallana, Mitoma — Ferguson

Arsenal vs Brighton live stream, TV channel

This Premier League clash takes place at the Emirates Stadium in London, UK and kicks off on Sunday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m. local time.

Below are the corresponding times, TV channels, and live streams to watch the match in regions around the world

IN CANADA: Watch this match in 4k on Fubo Canada (on 4k devices)

  Date Kickoff time TV Streaming
USA Sun, Dec. 17  9 a.m. ET NBC USA Network, Universo Fubo, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
Canada Sun, Dec. 17 9 a.m. ET — Fubo Canada
UK Sun, Dec. 17 2 p.m. GMT — —
Australia Mon, Dec. 18 1 a.m. AEDT — Optus Sport
India Sun, Dec. 17 7.30 p.m.  IST Star Sports Select 1 Disney+, Hotstar,
JioTV

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.