Brighton blows a hole in Gunners' top-four hopes
Mikel Arteta saw faltering Arsenal suffer a third defeat in four Premier League games as Brighton and Hove Albion snatched a 2-1 victory in north London.
Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu gave Brighton its first Premier League win in April – at the 16th attempt – and inflicted a painful blow on their hosts.
Trossard put Brighton ahead in the 28th minute with the visitors' first shot on target, striking his fifth Premier League goal of the season. Mwepu hit the second in the 66th minute as he sent a 20-yard strike fizzing past Aaron Ramsdale.
Martin Odegaard's deflected long-range late effort proved to be only a consolation, and after losing to Liverpool and Crystal Palace either side of a win at Aston Villa, this latest setback could have major implications for Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish.
Gabriel Magalhaes should have put Arsenal ahead in the 26th minute but could only head Bukayo Saka's cross into the side-netting.
Arsenal was regretting that miss a couple of minutes later when Lewis Dunk's quick ball forward was met on the right flank by Mwepu, whose cutback to Trossard was followed by a thumping 15-yard strike into the right corner.
In first-half stoppage-time, Gabriel Martinelli thought he had got the hosts level, nodding in from close range, but a lengthy VAR (video assistant referee) check concluded the striker was offside.
Saka lashed over the Brighton bar from the edge of the penalty area in the second half, and Arsenal was two down soon afterwards, the visitors doubling their lead through Mwepu's skilfully controlled low shot after Moises Caicedo clipped the ball into his path.
Odegaard hit the bar with a free-kick and substitute Eddie Nketiah also hit the horizontal on the rebound as Arsenal chased the game late on.
Odegaard, with the help of a deflection off Danny Welbeck, finally halved the deficit from 30 yards, but Nketiah's stoppage-time header was met with a great save from Robert Sanchez as Brighton held on.
