Mikel Arteta lauded the consistency of Bukayo Saka and his increased hunger to win after Saturday's routine 3-0 victory over Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium.

The Gunners swept aside Bournemouth as Saka's penalty opened the scoring before late second-half finishes from Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice sealed another much-needed victory.

With two games to spare, Arsenal have equalled their Premier League win tally from last season (26), only in 1930-31 (28) and 1970-71 (29) have the Gunners won more games in a single top-flight campaign.

That is in large part thanks to Saka, who became the first player to score 20 goals for Arsenal in a season (all competitions) since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20 (29 goals).

He is also the first Englishman to do so for the club since Theo Walcott in 2012-13 (21 goals) and Arteta was quick to praise star winger Saka.

"The level of consistency compared to last year is very similar," the Arsenal manager said at his post-match press conference. 

"There are areas he's better in. I see a different edge to him in the way he competes. He loves winning more than three months ago."

Kai Haverz won Saka's first-half penalty, though Bournemouth may feel the Arsenal forward triggered contact with goalkeeper Mark Travers.

The Cherries also had a goal disallowed at 2-0 down when Dominic Solanke was adjudged to have fouled David Raya before Antoine Semenyo turned into an empty net.

A lengthy VAR check followed both decisions but Arteta refused to comment on either incident, suggesting he had not seen them back yet.

"The honest answer is I haven't seen any of the incidents because I knew you were going to ask me," he added.

"They said do you want to see it and I said no so I can give you an honest answer!"

All 10 of Arsenal’s outfield starters attempted at least one shot in this game, the first time this has happened in a Premier League game for the Gunners since January 2022 against Burnley.

Gabriel Magalhaes almost got in the act but his strike was ruled out late on for offside, before Rice managed to add gloss to a dominant performance.

Rice was playing for West Ham last season as Arsenal capitulated in the title race against Man City, though the England international is hoping for a different outcome this time around.

"I wasn't here last year but I can sense that we are embracing it," the Arsenal midfielder told TNT Sports as Man City prepare to host Wolves later on Saturday.

"Man City are a machine and they don't lose many. Anything can happen in football. Surprises can happen and miracles can happen and we just have to stay focused."

Arsenal will continue to go about their business in hope of Man City slipping up, the Gunners have won 14 of their 16 Premier League games in 2024 (D1 L1), scoring 51 goals and conceding just eight in reply.

Indeed, the Gunners have won the most points in the competition since the turn of the year (43), but Arteta's side remain reliant on favours from elsewhere in the title race.

Arsenal put the pressure back onto Manchester City in the Premier League title race after their comprehensive 3-0 triumph over Bournemouth at Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta's side moved four points clear at the league summit with this victory but Man City have two games in hand, the first of which comes at home to Wolves later on Saturday.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time, with Arsenal securing a deserved reward for their first-half dominance.

Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice made sure of three points with late finishes as defeat left Bournemouth – who had an Antoine Semenyo strike ruled out in the closing stages – 10th in the table.

A flowing Arsenal move almost ended in Trossard converting Ben White's 10th-minute cross, only for a last-gasp Marcos Senesi block to thwart the Belgium forward.

Bournemouth had Mark Travers to thank soon after as the goalkeeper denied fizzing efforts from Kai Havertz and Saka, as well as a one-on-one with William Saliba.

Travers' one-man resistance continued when pushing away Thomas Partey's low left-footed curling attempt before Rice fired narrowly wide following Havertz's delicate header.

Yet Arsenal finally got their breakthrough as Travers felled the marauding Havertz – with the VAR confirming the spot-kick decision – before Saka coolly swept into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.

Saka should have doubled his tally after the interval but arrowed a glorious opportunity straight at Travers following a smart offload from Havertz, who went close minutes later.

The otherwise unneeded David Raya was forced into action at the other end to deny Dominic Solanke after 53 minutes, while Justin Kluivert whipped a free-kick just over.

That spell of Bournemouth pressure came to an abrupt end with 20 minutes to go when Rice twisted to play through for Trossard, who slotted a smart right-footed finish into the bottom-right corner.

The Cherries thought they had snatched a goal back just three minutes later but Semenyo's rebounded strike after Ryan Christie hit the crossbar was ruled out for a Solanke foul on Raya, with the VAR confirming the on-field decision.

Arsenal then suffered a similar fate with the officials as Gabriel Magalhaes' rocketed volley was disallowed for offside, but Rice was not to be denied in stoppage-time as he fired Gabriel Jesus' throughball under the helpless Travers.

Advantage Arsenal thanks to super Saka

Arsenal have won 14 of their 16 Premier League games so far in 2024, dropping points only against Man City (0-0) and Aston Villa (0-2) this year.

That incredible run of form ensures a tantalising title race will continue towards the final two games of the season, when Arsenal travel to Manchester United and then host Everton on the last day.

Their success this term can be somewhat apportioned to star winger Saka, who became the first player to score 20 goals for Arsenal in a season across all competitions since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2019-20 (29 goals).

Saka is also the first Englishman to do so for the club since Theo Walcott in 2012-13 (21 goals) as the England international continues to deliver in key moments for the Gunners.

Cherries blunted by dominant Gunners

Bournemouth had won 1-0 at Wolves and 3-0 against Brighton in their last two Premier League games before this – but they have never triumphed in three consecutive top-flight games without conceding.

A wait for three straight such victories will go on into next season, though Andoni Iraola will look back on this campaign with fond memories.

They have never won more matches in a top-flight season than their 13 in 2023-24 (also 13 in 2018-19) and – despite this underwhelming performance – will have another chance to set an outright club record when they host Brentford before visiting Chelsea on the final day, with a top-half finish still possible.

Bukayo Saka saluted Arsenal's fighting spirit as they withstood a late Tottenham revival to claim all three points in the north London derby.

Mikel Arteta's side prevailed 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to extend their lead at the Premier League summit to four points over second-place Manchester City with three matches remaining, though the Citizens still have two games in hand.

The Gunners surged into a 3-0 lead before half-time with Saka and Kai Havertz on target after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's own-goal broke the deadlock.

The winger's 15th goal of the season - his highest tally during a single term - saw him become the first English player to score home and away for Arsenal against Tottenham in the same Premier League campaign since Ian Wright in 1993-94.

However, the visitors given a late scare with Cristian Romero pouncing on David Raya's error to pull a goal back, before Heung-Min Son's 87th-minute penalty set up a grandstand finish.

Nevertheless, they held on for three points and, though the destiny of the title is out of their hands, their challenge remains very much alive.

"The last 20 minutes weren't nice, but it was worth it," Saka told Sky Sports.

"We know it's a big derby, and they don't want to lose 3-0 at home. Once they got one goal, the crowd were up and the momentum shifted their way. But I'm proud of the boys. We fought until the end, and got the three points.

"We showed our level heads at the end, and I'm proud to get the win. We know what it means to the fans and to us, so we're delighted.

"This is a massive win for us. We've got three [matches] to go, we're going to give it everything. City are an amazing team, but they're not perfect - nobody's perfect, they can drop points. We just need to do our job and see where it leads us."

Arsenal survived a late scare to move four points clear at the Premier League summit following a 3-2 win at rivals Tottenham in Sunday's north London derby.

The Gunners cruised into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to an own goal from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg along with Bukayo Saka's strike and Kai Havertz's header.

Yet a second-half collapse looked to be on the cards when Cristian Romero punished David Raya’s error before Son Heung-min pulled another back from the spot. However, the Gunners ultimately held on.

Arsenal, at least temporarily, tightened their grip on top spot ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who play the first of their two games in hand against Nottingham Forest later on Sunday, while Tottenham remain seven points off the top four in fifth.

The Gunners broke through after 15 minutes when Hojbjerg inadvertently nodded Saka’s inswinging corner beyond Guglielmo Vicario at his near post.

Spurs responded, and after Romero headed against the post, Micky van de Ven thought he had levelled when he slotted home from close range. However, the decision to award the goal was overturned following a VAR review with the defender adjudged to be offside.

Arsenal doubled their lead in the 27th minute following a swift counter that saw Havertz pick out Saka, who cut inside before slotting past Vicario.

Havertz then got in on the act before half-time, heading home Declan Rice’s corner from inside the six-yard box.

Yet an error by Raya gifted Spurs a lifeline after the break, when Romero pounced on the goalkeeper’s poor clearance to reduce the hosts’ arrears.

Matters were made more fraught for the Gunners late on, when a VAR check confirmed a penalty should be awarded to Spurs for Rice’s foul on Ben Davies.

Son lashed a brilliant spot-kick into the left-hand corner, yet a late Spurs onslaught ultimately came to nothing, as the Gunners secured another big win.

Saka shines in the derby limelight

The destiny of the Premier League title may be in Man City’s hands, but Arsenal are still very much in the hunt after a second London derby victory this week.

Mikel Arteta’s side, who thumped Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday, have bounced back brilliantly from their defeat to Aston Villa two weeks ago, scoring 10 goals in three games while conceding just twice.

After his corner led to the opening goal, Saka doubled the lead with his 15th league strike of this term – his most in a single season – while he became the first English player to score home and away for Arsenal against Tottenham in a single campaign since Ian Wright 30 years ago (1993-94).

The damage was effectively done when Havertz headed in the Gunners’ 16th goal from a corner this season, the most in a single campaign since West Bromwich Albion in 2016-17 (also 16), though Arteta will have been concerned by their near slip at the end.

Spurs' struggles on home soil continue

The 195th north London derby culminated in Tottenham losing successive home league games against Arsenal for the first time since 1988.

Despite their best efforts in the second half, it was always going to be difficult to turn things around against the side that has now won all 16 matches when leading at half-time this season.

Now without a win in four meetings against their rivals, they have also tasted success just once in five home outings against the Gunners.

With their own title hopes undented by their rivals, Arsenal will hope Tottenham can instead harm City’s chances when they host them on May 14.

Arsenal’s form in April looks like costing them dearly again this season after they exited the Champions League and fell behind in the title race.

After costly defeats to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, the PA news agency looks at the Gunners’ recurring failings at this time of year.

Same old story

Manager Mikel Arteta backed his side to “write our story very differently” against Bayern and had previously called on them to recreate the aura of the 2003-04 “Invincibles”, who won the league without losing a game.

They may instead be following the pattern of Arsenal teams since then who have narrowly missed out on success, particularly last season when they began April eight points clear.

They maintained that margin by beating Leeds on April 1 but drew their next three games and then lost to eventual champions Manchester City as they finished five points behind.

Consecutive league defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton in April 2022 contributed to Arsenal missing out on the Champions League.

This season, they were top after beating the Seagulls but defeat to Villa left them two points behind City. That was sandwiched between the two legs of the Bayern tie, a 2-2 draw at home and Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat in Germany, leaving them needing to end a three-game winless run when they face Wolves on Saturday.

It is not a new phenomenon either – as far back as 2007-08, Arsenal finished four points off the top after winning only one of eight games from February 23 to April 13.

They took one point from four games in the run-in to end their 2009-10 title challenge and five from the final six games in 2010-11 to finish down in fourth, and winning their final five games in 2013-14 was not enough after they took two points from the previous four. They were top of the league for more days that season than any other team, as was the case last year with a record 248.

Same old faces

The PA news agency understands there are some concerns within Arsenal over tiredness and fatigue taking their toll on the players, and their playing time paints a stark picture.

Eight of Wednesday night’s starting XI – David Raya, Ben White, Gabriel, William Saliba, Declan Rice, captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz – have played over 3,000 minutes in all competitions this season.

Those figures exclude stoppage-time and are already more than for either of the previous two campaigns, with six league games still to play.

White, Gabriel, Odegaard and Saka have all hit that threshold in each of the last three seasons for totals in excess of 10,000, with Gabriel leading the way at 11,220. His emergence with Brazil means all bar White are now also regulars for their respective countries.

Gabriel Martinelli could yet add a ninth name to this season’s list and Arteta must work out a way to keep his star men fresh and avoid their now traditional springtime slump.

Mikel Arteta credited his players for dealing with Arsenal’s “emotional” 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring for the Gunners, who then conceded two quickfire goals before substitute Leandro Trossard struck to ensure the teams head to Germany all square.

Arteta admitted emotions were running high in north London but maintained that his players did well to deal with the pressure in order to score late on ahead of the second leg at Allianz Arena next week.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Sunday, Arteta said: “There was a lot to take from the game and especially how we managed emotionally.

“We were very dominant and ahead and in 15 minutes we were behind a top side and had to deal with that emotionally, which is really tough to do and I think the team did brilliantly to manage that situation.

“It’s something which you have to work on daily (dealing with emotions) when you are there you are ready, leaving stuff in your system and as a team being able to deal with them.”

Arsenal, on 71 points, lead the title race on goal difference as they continue their bid to lift their first league title since 2003.

Spanish boss Arteta says his players want to do even more in their final eight league matches and in the Champions League to clinch silverware at the end of the season.

When asked how defining the next few weeks are for Arsenal, Arteta added: “Very, for sure because we can be in the semi-finals of the Champions League and top of the Premier League so every game is going to define what our future looks like.

“They are super excited about what we are doing, the way the team is performing, winning matches, they want more.

“We know the task and challenge ahead of us and how good we have to be to win but we will try.

Injury-stricken Villa, whose patchy form has seen them pick up one win in five, have slipped out of the top four behind Tottenham.

Despite Villa’s domestic wobble, Arteta talked up Sunday’s hosts and fellow Spanish manager Unai Emery, who recently celebrated his 1,000th game in management with a 2-1 Europa Conference League win over Lille.

Arteta said: “Unai’s had such a big impact at the club in terms of performances and consistency. It is unbelievable what he is doing in European competition and I’m impressed.

“He’s unbelievable and he’s done it in so many different countries and he’s been incredibly successful.

“He’s close to my home town and I have huge admiration for him and I wish him the best after Sunday. What he’s doing is really impressive.”

Harry Kane says the bitter pill of Bayern Munich’s doomed Bundesliga title defence and the prospect of a Wembley final is fuelling his desire for Champions League glory.

Former Tottenham star Kane returned to haunt familiar foes Arsenal by converting a first-half penalty in Tuesday evening’s thrilling quarter-final first leg which ended tantalisingly poised at 2-2.

Bayern’s 11-season run as German champions could be over before next week’s return match with the Gunners as unbeaten runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen sit 16 points clear with only 18 left to play for.

England captain Kane has understandably written off domestic silverware but retains hope of ending the season on a high under the arch of his country’s national stadium on June 1.

“Look, it’s a competition that the club want to win,” he said.

“Not winning the Bundesliga this year is a tough pill to swallow and it makes this competition even more important but we know there’s still a long way to go.

“We have to find that togetherness, we have to find that team ethic where we grind out games because we haven’t done it enough this year.

“In the Champions League, we’ve done well, had a good campaign but we will need more of that if we want to go all the way to Wembley.”

Kane was cast in the role of pantomime villain at a raucous Emirates Stadium and responded with his 15th career goal against the Gunners to help keep Bayern’s season alive.

The 30-year-old, who now has a remarkable tally of 39 goals this term, sees parallels between his current team’s predicament and when Spurs reached the 2019 Champions League final despite finishing 27 points adrift of champions Manchester City in the top flight.

“That campaign itself is similar because we weren’t having a great time in the league if I’m totally honest,” he said

“But we found some passion and togetherness in the Champions League and we managed to get to the final.

“That experience gives me hope that we can find that again, we know we can perform in the big games and try to get back to the final.

“Being at Wembley is also extra motivation for me personally being my national stadium and it’s still there to try and achieve.”

Bayern departed north London feeling aggrieved after Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg opted against penalising Arsenal defender Gabriel for inexplicably picking up the ball in his own box after a David Raya goal kick in the 67th minute.

Manager Thomas Tuchel branded the decision “horrible”, while Kane and fellow ex-Spurs man Eric Dier were both left bemused.

Arsenal later appealed for an added-time penalty when Bukayo Saka tumbled under a challenge from visiting goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

“It was a stonewall penalty and I don’t know why the ref didn’t give it,” Kane said of the Gabriel incident.

“It would have been strange. But the ref blew the whistle (for play to resume), he (Raya) passed it, he (Gabriel) picked it up, it would have been child like but that’s not our problem.

“The rules are the rules. Maybe they should have had one, we should have had one.”

Bayern’s sense of injustice was heightened by Leandro Trossard’s 76th-minute equaliser after goals from former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry and Kane overturned Saka’s early opener.

Kane hopes to harness the passion of a packed out Allianz Arena in the second leg, having been relentlessly jeered by home supporters as the six-time European champions played in the absence of travelling fans due to a UEFA sanction.

“I think they have a soft respect for me, the Arsenal fans,” said Kane. “I was a fan when I was younger so I know how it goes and, for me, I just try to perform.

“For some reason, I get a lot of penalties at the Emirates and I’ve been happy I’ve been able to put them away and it will be nice to be at home next and in front of the Munich fans.

“It was hard with no fans, strange to have no-one there for us but I thought we dealt with it well and I think you’ll see them even more excited next week having not been to this game and maybe even louder than they usually are.

“Hopefully we can use that energy to our advantage and really try to put the pressure on.”

Harry Kane knew it was not just Bayern Munich fans who wanted him to score on his return to north London in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal.

Tottenham’s record scorer was back at the Emirates Stadium for the first time since leaving Spurs in the summer and scored his customary goal when he converted a first-half penalty to put the German side 2-1 up before half-time.

Kane kept his cool after Leroy Sane had been fouled not long after Serge Gnabry had cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s early opener.

No opposition player has scored more goals at the Emirates than Kane, who scored plenty of penalties for Spurs over the years and he knew his old fans would have been watching.

“I think they have a soft respect for me,” he said of Arsenal fans who were goading him during his interview on TNT Sports.

“I know there wasn’t just Bayern Munich fans watching this game tonight, so maybe there was a little bit more pressure. It is always a tough game.

“I have done a bit of research of the penalties against Porto, he (David Raya) was reading it into the corners early so I had to change my style a little bit.

“It was nice to see him go early and make it easy for me.”

Leandro Trossard’s second-half strike ensured it ended 2-2 and leaves it finely poised for next week’s second leg in Munich.

Kane said: “You have seen it over the last couple of years, probably my last season at Tottenham, they were really strong and had a good go at winning the league.

“They are a really good team, we changed how we defended without the ball. More of a 4-4-2 and had to work and dig deep.

“We know we are playing a top team and they are on top of Premier League for a reason. Tough game.”

The Champions League represents Kane’s only real chance of silverware in his debut season in Munich following his side’s capitulation in the Bundesliga title race.

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Despite their poor league campaign, Kane has loved his debut season in Germany, where he has scored 39 goals in 38 matches.

He added: “It’s been an amazing experience, of course the league hasn’t gone the way I or the club would have wanted it to go, but for me personally it has been an amazing experience.

“To see a different culture, to see a different league, it has been a great step in my career.

“The league has gone this year but I am at Munich for a long time and I know we will come back stronger.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes his side can still beat Bayern Munich after admitting they were below-par in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first-leg draw.

Leandro Trossard’s late equaliser made it 2-2 at the Emirates after goals from former Gunner Serge Gnabry and ex-Tottenham striker Harry Kane overturned Bukayo Saka’s early opener.

That means it is all to play for in Munich next week and Arteta said on TNT Sports: “I have a lot of belief we can go there and beat them. We have to prepare really well.

“We scored a really good goal and then after that is the moment of the game when Ben (White) is in front of (Manuel) Neuer and if we make it 2-0 it would be a very different match.

“After that the ball is open, we gave it to the opponent and they scored. That created some uncertainty.

“The second goal as well is unusual for us to concede but this is the Champions League, if you make a mistake you get punished.

“A lot of things today we have not done to the standards we usually do and that has allowed them spaces to run and they are very dangerous.

“The Champions League, if you give something they take it.”

Arsenal felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the final moments when Saka looked to have been fouled by Neuer but the referee waved away protests and VAR confirmed the decision.

Arteta said: “(The referee) didn’t say anything. They said they checked it and they decided it wasn’t a penalty.”

Harry Kane was denied a fairytale return to north London as Arsenal hit back to claim a 2-2 draw from an exhilarating Champions League quarter-final first leg with Bayern Munich.

Tottenham’s all-time record scorer claimed his 15th career goal in 20 appearances against the Gunners by converting a first-half penalty to put the German club on course for victory at a raucous Emirates Stadium.

But substitute Leandro Trossard left the tie perfectly poised ahead of next week’s return match with a 76th-minute equaliser after Bukayo Saka’s early opener was cancelled out by former Arsenal forward Serge Gnabry.

Six-time European champions Bayern almost snatched a 90th-minute winner when Kingsley Coman struck a post, while Saka was denied an added-time spot-kick following a challenge from Manuel Neuer in a breathless finale.

England captain Kane played the role of pantomime villain throughout and, aside from registering his 39th goal of a remarkable season, could have been sent off for swinging an elbow into the neck of Gabriel.

Amid an Islamic State terror threat, Bayern arrived in England on the cusp of relinquishing the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 seasons having slipped 16 points adrift of runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

The presence of ex-Tottenham pair Kane and Eric Dier, plus Gnabry, added extra intrigue to a mouthwatering match while the sold-out stadium was without travelling fans due to a UEFA sanction imposed for supporters throwing fireworks on to the pitch in Bayern’s last-16 win over Lazio.

Thomas Tuchel’s men were greeted by a deafening noise from the partisan crowd and the ground was rocking with just 12 minutes on the clock thanks to Saka’s magic.

The England international was freed inside Bayern’s area by Ben White following defensive dithering and duly produced a sumptuous first-time curling finish into the bottom left corner to spark jubilation in the stands.

White should have recreated those scenes when he squandered a golden chance by firing straight at fit-again Bayern goalkeeper Neuer after being slipped clear by Kai Havertz before the Gunners gifted their opponents an 18th-minute equaliser.

Gabriel sloppily conceded possession following a miscommunication with David Raya, culminating in Gnabry latching on to Leon Goretzka’s through-ball to finish through the legs of the Gunners keeper.

Arsenal came into this stage of the competition for the first time since 2010 on the back of four consecutive clean sheets.

But their usually reliable backline once again creaked in costly fashion with half an hour played as Kane delighted in silencing the terraces.

Leroy Sane’s mazy run from halfway was halted only by the dangled leg of William Saliba and, after Raya moved early, Kane coolly rolled the ball into the bottom right corner from 12 yards to further torment Spurs’ fiercest rivals.

Following the euphoria of the early breakthrough, Arsenal could easily have been two goals behind at the break as the last-ditch attempts of White and Martin Odegaard were required to deny Sane when clean through.

Arsenal returned to the field with renewed purpose but struggling to create.

Kane escaped with a booked after catching Gabriel before later seeing a long-range effort deflect wide as Bayern remained a threat on the break.

With time ticking away and a frustrating evening on the cards, Mikel Arteta’s Premier League leaders levelled.

Gabriel Jesus worked space inside Bayern’s box before teeing up fellow replacement Trossard to slot into the bottom left corner beyond Neuer and raise the decibel levels.

Bayern substitute Coman poked against the frame of the goal as a helter-skelter encounter threatened another twist before Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg was booed off for failing to punish Neuer’s potential trip on Saka.

Mikel Arteta savoured a “big, big performance” after Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by ending Brighton’s impressive home form with a thumping 3-0 victory.

The title-chasing Gunners arrived at the Amex Stadium having dropped to third place in the table following Manchester City’s 4-2 success at Crystal Palace in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Bukayo Saka set Arteta’s men on course to return to the summit by converting a 33rd-minute penalty before second-half goals from Kai Havertz and substitute Leandro Trossard completed a comprehensive win.

The result – Albion’s first top-flight home loss in more than seven months – puts Arsenal a point ahead of both Liverpool, who play their game in hand at rivals Manchester United on Sunday, and City.

“I’m really happy, really proud of the boys,” said Gunners boss Arteta.

“They put in a big, big performance to beat this great Brighton side.

“They haven’t lost here since August and that tells you the difficulty of the task but we were really good today.”

Fit-again Saka was recalled after sitting out the 2-0 midweek win over Luton with a muscular problem.

The England forward scored from the spot when Seagulls full-back Tariq Lamptey was penalised for bringing down Gabriel Jesus, despite brushing the top of the ball.

Havertz rewarded Arsenal’s dominance by tapping home Jorginho’s centre 28 minutes from time before substitute Trossard ran half the length of the pitch to rub salt into the wounds of his former club late on.

“The understanding between the attacking players today was superb,” said Arteta.

“They had real purpose and connection and we created many chances.”

Arsenal led the division for much of last season before falling short in the final weeks.

The Gunners, who begin their two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening, have won 10 of 11 top-flight fixtures in 2024, with seven games to go.

“We are in a really good moment,” said Arteta.

“We have the squad healthy, with a really good energy, with a lot of confidence individually and collectively because they are performing really well and we are winning a lot of matches.

“We just have to carry on doing what we’re doing.”

Brighton dropped to 10th position, below Chelsea on goal difference, as their quest for a second successive season of European football suffered a setback.

Injury-hit Albion faded from a positive start and rarely threatened Gunners goalkeeper David Raya.

Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi had no complaints about the award of Arsenal’s penalty and urged his players to quickly move on.

“I thought it was clear but I don’t want to speak about the decisions of the referee,” he said of the spot-kick.

“We lost not for the referee’s responsibility.

“We played a good game until the second goal we conceded but we didn’t shoot enough to score. We weren’t strong enough to score.

“Arsenal are one of the best teams in the Premier League. We knew that before the game.

“We fought in a good way.

“The penalty was clear and we move on trying to work better, to improve our young players, to recover our eight injured players, and we try to compete to reach another season in the European positions.”

Gareth Southgate says he is facing a “complicated” Euro 2024 selection choice given England’s potential fitness and availability issues heading into the summer.

This is the first time since the 2018 World Cup that the 57-cap former defender is having to pick a 23-man squad for a major tournament after it was expanded to 26 following the coronavirus pandemic.

But Southgate could name even more than that at the provisional squad announcement on May 21 as the England boss will have injury concerns to deal with and the late arrival of key players.

The final squad is not due to be submitted to UEFA until June 8, but some may not even have joined up with the team by that point due to cup finals, denting numbers for the warm-up friendlies against Bosnia and Iceland.

Asked how many extra headaches returning to a 23-man squad will throw up given the issues he is juggling, Southgate said: “Yeah, it’s going to be complicated, because firstly the injury situations that we have.

“Some will be back playing at the weekend, some will be back playing in a couple of weeks, some will be really close to the end of the season.

“Then we’re going to have the European finals, the FA Cup final and the two friendlies that we’ve got ourselves.

“It’s inevitable we’re going to be naming a longer squad, which is what we did before the Euros here even though we were dealing with 26 then.

“We really don’t know (how many will be in the provisional squad) because there are so many questions on the injuries at the moment.

“But we’ve gained valuable information about so many players this this week.”

Absentee-hit England suffered their first defeat in 15 months in Saturday’s late 1-0 loss Brazil at Wembley, where Jude Bellingham scored an even later goal to salvage a 2-2 draw against Belgium three days later.

Southgate had to experiment far more than he expected during the friendly double-header due an unprecedented injury list that left him without a third of the 40-odd players on his long list against Brazil.

Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Sam Johnstone all withdrew from the squad over the course of the camp, with Jordan Henderson unable to feature in either match.

“I had a plan on Saturday night for Tuesday that got blown apart in 12 hours, so to have a plan for something in two and a half months’ time at the moment is faintly ridiculous.” Southgate said.

“We know some of the core parts of that, we know who’s been able to play at that level, who our very best players are.

“And the rest, we’ve got a lot clearer picture of what people are capable of from the two games that we’ve played.

“We’re just going to see how people are when they come back into form, whether they can do that fitness-wise with their clubs.”

Anthony Gordon, Ezri Konsa and Kobbie Mainoo all made their debuts over recent days, with Ivan Toney registering his first goal – from the penalty spot – against Belgium on his first international start.

The quartet boosted their chances of making the plane to Germany, with 18-year-old Mainoo’s stock arguably growing the highest.

The Manchester United talent staked his claim for a midfield spot with out-of-sorts Kalvin Phillips omitted, Trent Alexander-Arnold injured and Henderson unavailable.

Mainoo won his first cap off the bench against Brazil and, just four months after making his first Premier League start, was named player of the match for his display on his full England debut on Tuesday.

“He gives us a different profile of midfield player to anything else we’ve got,” Southgate said.

“He’s adapted and adjusted brilliantly. You can’t believe his age, really, that he’s just taking it all in his stride as he has.”

Asked if he was confident Mainoo could shut out the noise after such an impressive full debut, he said: “I think, firstly, he seems very mature, very calm. He knows he’s making his way.

“We’re absolutely delighted with what he’s done, first and foremost, and then there’s a lot of the season still to be played with his club.”

Harry Kane has been ruled out of England’s glamour friendly against Brazil and manager Gareth Southgate says he is “extremely doubtful” to face Belgium.

Already without a number of injured regulars for March’s Wembley double-header, the Euro 2020 runners-up saw Bukayo Saka withdraw through injury on Thursday.

England vice-captain Jordan Henderson and Cole Palmer remain with the camp but they too are sidelined for Saturday’s sold-out friendly against the Selecao, along with Kane.

The skipper sustained an ankle injury sustained playing for Bayern Munich last weekend and also faces the possibility of missing Tuesday’s game against Belgium – the final match before Southgate names his Euro 2024 squad.

“Tomorrow no Harry Kane, no Jordan Henderson, no Cole Palmer,” England boss Southgate said.

“I would say Cole and Hendo have a better chance of Belgium than Harry. He’d be extremely doubtful for that.”

Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson are doubts for England’s glamour friendly against Brazil after missing group training on the eve of the game.

Gareth Southgate’s men step up their preparations for this summer’s shot at Euro 2024 glory with Wembley friendlies against the Selecao and Belgium.

England skipper Kane and vice-captain Henderson’s availability to face Brazil on Saturday evening is in doubt after the pair trained away from the main group at St George’s Park on Friday morning.

The pair again worked inside on individualised training programmes, with Kane dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Bayern Munich’s 5-2 Bundesliga win over Darmstadt last Sunday.

Southgate worked with a 23-man England squad ahead of travelling down to London following Bukayo Saka’s withdrawal from the squad.

The Arsenal forward reported to St George’s Park with an injury and returned to his club on Thursday having been unable to participate in training.

Ben White has signed a new contract at Arsenal as the defender admits it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at the Emirates Stadium.

The 26-year-old has agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months in north London, the PA news agency understands.

White has been a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s side as they sit top of the Premier League and prepare for a first Champions League quarter-final appearance in 14 years.

He featured in every Premier League game last season as Arsenal were pipped at the post by treble-winners Manchester City but has further impressed in his role at right-back this campaign.

Having come through the ranks at Brighton, White spent three seasons out on loan – with Newport, Peterborough and Leeds, respectively, as he gradually made his way up the leagues.

He then spent a solitary season in the Brighton first-team before impressing Arsenal enough that the Gunners forked out £50million to sign him in the summer of 2021.

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Asked if Arsenal now feels like home, White replied: “I have been on loan three times, I have been places for a year.

“I think this is the first time I’ve actually settled and known I am not going anywhere in the summer. Being here is unbelievable and I’d love to stay (for more years).”

White has earned four senior England caps since his move to Arsenal, but has not been part of Gareth Southgate’s plans since an early departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

At club level, though, he is the latest in a growing list of Arteta’s key men to commit their futures to the Spaniard’s project.

He follows in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who extended their deals last year, while Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and William Saliba have also signed new contracts in the past 18 months.

“I think when those sort of players are getting signed (to new deals), it shows there is a real ambition about the club and it is something I am loving being a part of,” White added.

“I think if you do look at their ages, it’s going to get better. Day to day it is shown how important this club is and how important it is to do the little things right and get the results that we need.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “It’s great news that Ben is committing his future to the club.

“Ben is a key player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality, and one of the guys who leads by example every day.

“Ben’s ability, determination and positive attitude are so important, but he is also a great character and human being.

“We all look forward to continue working with Ben in the coming years.”