Bukayo Saka on 'massive, ugly' win for Arsenal at Brighton and how fan reaction revealed Manchester City's result against Nottingham Forest

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Arsenal moved seven points clear at the Premier League summit as Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton. On a night that could prove pivotal in the title race, Mikel Arteta's side were far from fluent but Saka's early intervention separated the sides. The forward said he was aware of events unfolding between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.

'It'll come to you' - Saka on dealing with external noise

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Might this have been the defining night in the Premier League title race?

At the Amex Stadium, a loud cheer greeted news of the final score some 260 miles away at the Etihad.

Murillo's heroic last-ditch defending earned Nottingham Forest a precious point in their quest for survival, but the celebrations in the away end echoed just as loudly from those of a red and white persuasion in North London.

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"This feels like a massive win," Bukayo Saka told TNT Sports following Arsenal's narrow 1-0 victory at Brighton - and so it may well prove.

"We heard the fans celebrating out of nowhere during the game, so I sort of knew in my head that something had gone well in the other game. But we are just focused on ourselves.

"This game was quite ugly; we didn't play our best, but sometimes it's just about getting results."

It is only early March but, having gone 22 years without a Premier League title, it already feels like the fortunes of Arsenal and Manchester City will be unavoidably intertwined between now and May.

It was Saka's goal after nine minutes, capitalising on Bart Verbruggen's error, that ultimately decided things on the south coast and that proved the perfect way for the England forward to mark his 300th club appearance, gliding in off the right for an instinctive finish that calmed early nerves.

Highlights: Saka strike sends Gunners seven clear

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Mikel Arteta said when told about Saka's milestone "I didn’t know it was that many but, at his age, it’s just incredible what he’s doing, the consistency that he’s showing, and it’s a pleasure to have him.

"This was a really difficult one, and after everything that we’ve been through in the last few weeks as well. It was going to be a really, really tough test, and we went through it.

"Every game in the Premier League offers you different things, and in relation to the context that you face as well. The movement of the players as well, the issues that we had with the players who started, so credit to the boys because the effort they put in is astronomical.

Arteta: Arsenal's effort 'astronomical' in gritty away win

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"I think on the day there are certain things that we have to do better, but the commitment and the desire to win that they have is incredible."

Arteta's side amassed an xG of just 0.01 during the opening 45 minutes - highlighting the extent of the Brighton goalkeeper's lapse in concentration - but 1-0 is how it remained.

The Gunners march on, now seven points clear of rivals City after Pep Guardiola's side could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to Forest.

As Saka stated himself, this was not the purest of victories - as it was not against Chelsea last Sunday - but with William Saliba absent owing to an ankle injury, all that mattered was that Arsenal got over the line.

Arteta added: "It was a really difficult one with everything we’ve been through the last few weeks. We knew it would be a tough test, and we went through it.

Arsenal were made to work hard for their three points at Brighton

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"The moment of the players, the issues that we had. Big credit to the boys because the effort they put in was astronomical. There are some other things we have to do better.

"We are missing quite a lot of players in the back line. We had to make adjustments. We did what we had to do, and we have to continue that."

Arsenal now travel to face League One opposition in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - with Mansfield Town standing in the way of their quest for an unprecedented quadruple.

Arteta is likely to rotate his squad after another bruising Premier League encounter, with Declan Rice passed fit to start against Brighton despite hobbling off in the 2-1 win over Chelsea.

Arsenal could have fallen behind on Wednesday night following an error from David Raya, but defender Gabriel was able to clear Carlos Baleba's effort off his own goal line.

The Brazil centre-back was imperious throughout and told reporters: "When I saw the player was free, I didn’t have time to jump to him, so I stepped up and needed to cover the goal. I think it was a magic moment.

"We know what game we want to play, but here is a very tough place to come and play well. The important thing is the way we compete and to get the clean sheet and three points. I'm very happy, but I need to rest now because we have a lot ahead of us.

"We need to concentrate on every ball, and at the end, they put every player in the front. We needed to defend well, but I think we did well. We are so happy to keep the clean sheet and get the three points."

'Saves the skin of his goalkeeper' - Baleba almost punishes slack mistake from Raya

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Hurzeler blasts Arsenal star for 'time-wasting'

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who was critical of how Arsenal delayed restarts at corners in his pre-match press conference, was not impressed by what he perceived as time-wasting in the second period, singling out visiting goalkeeper Raya as being the biggest culprit.

"The Premier League needs to find a rule," he told TNT Sports. "Give more yellow cards for time-wasting. Have you ever seen a goalkeeper go down three times in a game?

"I think everyone saw it, therefore everyone has to form their own opinion. I said it before the game and I think now we shouldn’t use too many words about this; we should focus more on the performance and what we did well tonight.

"It’s more about, for me, that he handles the other things better. In general, the Premier League needs to find a rule because I think that’s got nothing to do with football, what Arsenal did there, and that was more the point I made."

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