Arteta hails ‘remarkable’ Arsenal resilience as Raya preserves crucial Brighton win | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta described Arsenal’s 1–0 victory over Brighton as “remarkable” after his side withstood sustained pressure at the Amex Stadium to move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Bukayo Saka’s deflected first-half strike ultimately proved decisive, but it was a night defined by resilience rather than rhythm. Arsenal were second best for long spells, forced deep by Brighton’s intensity and relied heavily on David Raya’s second-half interventions to preserve their advantage.

“It’s a huge win,” Arteta said post-match. “We knew how tough it was going to be. We’re coming back from very difficult games with a lot of intensity, with players really going through the line in every game with difficulties, not able to train and to come here and get the result that we got. I think it’s remarkable.”

If Saka supplied the headline moment, Raya once again delivered the defining saves. After an early error that nearly gifted Brighton the lead, the Spaniard recovered to produce a string of crucial stops after the interval – most notably clawing away a fierce effort from Georginio Rutter and reacting sharply to late deliveries into a crowded penalty area.

Only days earlier, Arteta had described Raya as “one of our leaders without a doubt,” praising his ability to maintain focus in matches where his involvement can be minimal before a decisive moment arrives. At the Amex, that composure was tested repeatedly and proved decisive once more.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler was critical of Arsenal’s approach after the match, accusing the visitors of time-wasting and singling out Raya for going to ground on several occasions.

“There was only one team that tried to play football today,” Hurzeler said. “Do you ever see in a Premier League game the goalkeeper going down three times?”

Arteta’s response was brief and pointed. “What a surprise,” he said when asked about the comments, declining to expand further. He then sarcastically added, “I love my players. That’s the highlight. I love my players, we love our players, and I love the way we compete.”

For Saka, the occasion carried added significance. Making his 300th appearance at just 24 years of age, the winger marked the milestone in fitting fashion with the game’s only goal.

“Unbelievable,” Arteta said when asked about his No.7. “Unbelievable numbers at his age to produce the amount of games. To do it in the manner that he’s done it and the stats that he’s got related to those games are just incredible. So a big night for him.”

With a congested schedule limiting preparation time, Arsenal’s performance reflected a side running on commitment as much as cohesion. The visitors went long more frequently than usual, registering 60 long balls – their highest figure in a league game this season – as they struggled at times to establish control in build-up.

Whether that approach was deliberate, Arteta dismissed the suggestion of a tactical shift.

“No, I think that was down to especially what happened in the game as well and the lack of composure that we have in certain moments,” he explained. “Probably our heart rate is a little bit too high in certain moments because we are trying to recover as well. So obviously that’s not the intention. But the players at the end have to make the decision, and they believe that throughout certain moments they have to do it.”

The physical toll of the campaign was also evident late on, with several Arsenal players appearing fatigued as Brighton pushed for an equaliser.

“When you look at the amount of minutes that players have played in comparison to last season, they are already much higher than last season,” Arteta said. “That’s the schedule. That’s the normality that we have now in the competition that we are in. We have to accept it. But the level of energy and desire that they put in, it’s normal.”

The atmosphere at the Amex was hostile throughout, with boos greeting Arsenal during long stoppages and sustained Brighton pressure.

Yet Arteta instead chose to focus on the travelling support, who serenaded the team at full-time after confirmation filtered through that Manchester City had dropped points elsewhere.

“From the first minute,” Arteta said of the away end. “The energy that they brought, the passion, the positivity to the team, it was amazing. Many moments we thought that we were playing very closely with them, and that’s very helpful.”

Arsenal may not have controlled proceedings on the south coast, but in the context of a tightening title race, control mattered less than outcome. Raya’s saves, Gabriel’s defensive interventions and Saka’s clinical moment combined to secure three points that could loom large come May.