Arsenal climbed to the top of the Premier League standings following their 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

The Gunners moved a point clear at the top thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ header and Kai Havertz’s late strike.

Mikel Arteta’s team dominated the first half against Brighton without being rewarded, but the tension was relieved when Jesus converted a corner.

The hosts were almost punished when Pascal Gross missed a golden opportunity before Havertz sealed the victory, sparking joyous celebrations among the relieved home crowd.

The Seagulls, who were looking for their third consecutive league victory at Emirates Stadium, only managed one shot on goal and fell to ninth place.

After a conservative first half, Brighton provided more attacking threat in the final half hour, but anything less than a home win would have been unjust.

Arsenal had 26 shots on goal and came close to adding a third in injury time when substitute Emile Smith Rowe’s low drive was saved.

“It was an incredible performance. It was a joy to watch from the start to the end,” said Arsenal boss Arteta, whose jubilant celebrations indicated the magnitude of the win.

“The way we played against a phenomenal Brighton side was incredible. We were patient, kept going, kept believing and got what we deserved.”

With Liverpool defeated at home by Manchester United, Arsenal now have 39 points from 17 games and will travel to Anfield on Saturday for a crucial match against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Arsenal had an opportunity to throw down the gauntlet to their rivals with Liverpool playing later on Sunday and defending champions Manchester City still trailing them after dropping points against Crystal Palace.

Last weekend’s pulsating defeat at Aston Villa saw the Gunners lose their summit position and a five-match winning streak in the Premier League come to an end.

Despite this, the mood in the camp remained positive, with Arteta and his players emphasising the positives of a defeat in which they had created enough decent chances to earn something.

Arteta stuck with the same starting lineup against Brighton and urged his players to make amends in front of their home fans.

The Gunners had gone 12 games unbeaten at home since losing 3-0 to Brighton in May, but the first half followed a familiar pattern.

In a one-sided first half, Arsenal moved the ball with pace and purpose against a deep-lying Brighton side, creating chances for Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, and Gabriel Martinelli.

They were unable, however, to find the ruthless streak that Arteta had demanded.

“I didn’t want to have the feeling of it being another game where we couldn’t score – but you think about it. We had so many chances to put the game to bed,” said Arteta.

Arsenal went into halftime with 15 shots on goal, only three of which were on target, and the second half began with Odegaard wasting another opportunity.

When presented with the ball in the box, the Gunners captain took too long, taking a touch instead of a first-time shot, allowing Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke to brilliantly nip in.

That unintentionally set up the first goal, with Van Hecke flicking the resulting corner on to the far post, where Jesus pounced.

Arsenal and their fans understood the significance of scoring a second goal to end the game, which was highlighted when Gross slid wide from a cross that he should have converted.

The hosts eventually won when Havertz finished off a slick attacking move with his fourth goal in his last seven games.

Brighton face a unique challenge this season, juggling domestic and European campaigns with an injury-plagued squad.

Three days after clinching a place in the Europa League last 16, the Seagulls faced a short turnaround for one of the Premier League’s toughest trips.

Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi said they only had one training session to prepare for the game, but he refused to look for excuses after a lacklustre performance.

Nonetheless, if Gross had equalised, the game would have taken on a completely different tone.

The German should have slid in with his right leg rather than his left, and the error contributed to Brighton failing to score for the first time in 33 Premier League games.

“I’m disappointed for the result but not for the other things. We deserved to lose. Arsenal played much better than us, they deserved to win the game,” said De Zerbi.

“We had the chance to score in the second half. Maybe it could have been different but we didn’t deserve any points.”

Photo by EPA/NEIL HALL