Making what was a real title statement on Saturday evening, Arsenal stormed their way to a 3-0 romp away at Brighton.

Climbing to the top of the Premier League table here, Arsenal eventually breached Brighton’s rugged defence as England international Bukayo Saka converted from the penalty spot 12 minutes before the half-time break.

While the Seagulls might have come flying out of the traps after returning from the interval, it was the red-hot Kai Havertz who slotted home from close range midway through the second-half.

Laying down what was a major marker on the south coast, Brighton certainly had salt rubbed into their wound as former talisman Leandro Trossard came off the bench and wrapped up all three points in the final moments.

While Mikel Arteta’s men might have faced a potential banana skin at the Amex, the Gunners have now collected 31 points from their last 11 top-flight appearances.

With Brighton collecting just a single point since returning from March’s international break, Saturday’s hosts have continued to show some glaring domestic inconsistencies this season.

On an evening when Arsenal stormed their way back to the top of the Premier League table, we have taken a look at the key talking points.

Arsenal climb to the top of the pile

While Arsenal might have eventually fallen short last season in their bid to claim a first Premier League crown since 2004, the Gunners are firing on all cylinders this time around.

Putting in another rampant performance here and avoiding what could have been a tough examination at the Amex, Arteta’s young squad find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high.

Leapfrogging Manchester City and Liverpool on Saturday evening, the Gunners have only continued on a stunning purple patch since opening the New Year.

Booking a Champions League quarter-final ticket last month and with a heavyweight showdown against German giants Bayern Munich set for Tuesday night, Arsenal have also collected 31 points from their previous 11 top-flight appearances.

Along with continuing to gain a fearsome reputation for their clinical performances in the final third, Arteta’s title contenders have also conceded just a single Premier League goal in over 450 minutes of action.

Havertz extends on his Premier League romp

Although Arsenal might have raised plenty of eyebrows over the summer as they splashed £65million on Havertz, the Germany international is enjoying a stunning resurge with the title contenders.

While the former Chelsea star might have endured a nightmare start to life in north London, Havertz has quickly become a real fan favourite at the Emirates and clearly has a leading role to play over the final weeks.

Finding the net here thanks to a smart second-half finish, the 24-year-old has only continued to shine on either side of March’’s international break.

Expected to play a leading role with Germany at this summer’s European Championships, Havertz has registered five goals in his last seven top-flight showdowns on either side of the fortnight interval.

In fact, now recording nine Premier League strikes this season, Havertz is enjoying his most fruitful goalscoring season since arriving in England’s elite four years ago.

Brighton’s inconsistent rut continues

While Brighton might have gained plenty of plaudits since appointing Roberto De Zerbi back in September 2022, the Seagulls have drastically failed to find any kind of momentum this season.

Collecting just a single point from their three Premier League appearances since returning from March’s international break, the one-time Sassuolo boss has also found a huge amount of scrutiny over his long-term future at the Amex.

Suffering Europa League heartbreak last month as they eventually fell to a 4-1 aggregate drumming at the hands of Italian icons Roma, De Zerbi’s men have a real battle on their hands in the race to clinch another European finish this season.

Blown away against the title contenders here, the Seagulls have won just four of their previous 17 Premier League showdowns – a rut that stems all the way back to a 2-1 victory against Brentford on December 6th.

Ending Saturday’s battle at the Amex holding just a one-point buffer from slipping out the top-half of the table, Brighton also face a tough end to the season that sees them face the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Champions League chasers Aston Villa.

Match Report

Brighton: Verbruggen, Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan, Baleba, Gross, Adingra, Moder, Enciso, Welbeck

Subs: Pedro, Fati, Bounanotte

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Jesus

Subs: Trossard, Tomiyasu, Vieira, Nketiah, Martinelli

Goals: Saka (33’ P), Havertz (62’), Trossard (86’)

Yellow Cards: Brighton: Baleba – Arsenal: White, Saliba

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: John Brooks