Arsenal kept a fifth consecutive away clean sheet as goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard earned a 3-0 victory at Brighton to move the Gunners top of the Premier League.
Manchester City had moved above Arsenal and level on points with Liverpool with a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime, but Mikel Arteta’s side responded with a superb performance to hit the summit.
Arsenal’s rock-solid defence had made a shaky start on the south coast before Saka kept his cool from the penalty spot, with Brighton raging that VAR hadn’t overturned the decision after Tariq Lamptey appeared to touch the ball before bringing down Gabriel Jesus.
The hosts were unbeaten in their last 12 home league matches and started to turn the screw in the second half as Arsenal began to lose control until the in-form Havertz tapped in his ninth Premier League goal of the season.
Trossard added further punishment for Brighton, scoring a late third against his former club with a deft chip to make sure Arsenal would move a point clear at the top.
Brighton are back in action on Saturday, April 13, as they travel to Burnley in the Premier League.
Arsenal host Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, April 9.
EPL: De Bruyne double at Crystal Palace moves Man City to second
They return to Premier League action on Sunday, April 14, taking on Aston Villa.
In the other games on Saturday, Everton went into their match against second-from-bottom Burnley desperately searching for a spark after a run of 13 Premier League matches without a win.
They struggled to impose themselves but benefited from a huge slice of fortune when goalkeeper Arijanet Muric’s clearance deflected in off Dominic Calvert-Lewin in first-half stoppage time.
Everton, who last played outside the English top-flight in the 1953/54 season, are now four points above the relegation zone.
Fourth-placed Villa, beaten in midweek by City, will rue a second-half collapse that could prove costly in their chase to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Unai Emery’s men drew 3-3 but they had led 2-0 after goals from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rodgers.
Three goals in nine minutes from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo, and Yoane Wissa turned the match on its head before Watkins levelled in the 80th minute, leaving Villa just three points above Tottenham, who have two games in hand.
Carlton Morris scored a 90th-minute goal in Luton’s 2-1 win against Bournemouth – a result that leaves them in the relegation zone but now level on points with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle edged past Fulham 1-0 courtesy of a late goal from Bruno Guimaraes to keep alive their hopes of European football next season while West Ham came from behind to beat Wolves 2-1.
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