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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has insisted there is still a “long, long” way to go in the Premier League title race after the leaders ended the year seven points clear courtesy of a thrilling 4-2 win at Brighton.
Goals from Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli helped the Gunners tighten their stranglehold on top spot going into 2023.
The visitors led 3-0 and 4-1 at the Amex Stadium but survived a nervy finish after a VAR intervention prevented the Seagulls reducing the deficit to 4-3 with a minute to play.
A fifth consecutive top-flight success for the north London club meant they took full advantage of nearest rivals Manchester City and Newcastle being held to home draws earlier in the day.
Despite the healthy position, head coach Arteta, whose side host third-place Newcastle on Tuesday, said his squad were not getting carried away.
Gabriel Martinelli celebrates scoring. (Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
“It’s still a long, long run to go,” he said of the title race.
“My excitement comes when I go in the dressing room and the players are talking about what they should have done better today.
“And that means that they know that we can still play better and be better, and against Newcastle we have to be better.
“(It was a) big win, really happy, a really tough place to come.
“You don’t come to this place with this team and get a comfortable win, it doesn’t happen.”
Brighton head coach Roberto Zerbi described the six-goal thriller as “a strange game”.
“We suffered four goals in a strange way and at crucial moments, especially the first and last goals,” he said.
“But we played a good game against a fantastic team.
“I’m sad for the result, but not for the quality of our play, our attitude and our bravery.
“We closed the game with a lot of very young players, but I can’t say anything bad of them or the performance.
“We know Arsenal’s quality, they have fantastic players and a fantastic coach.”
Perhaps it is really time to start believing for a team that has not won the league title since Arsenal’s unbeaten ‘Invincibles’ did so in 2004.
“Of course at the start of the season if you asked us if we wanted this (position at New Year’s) we would bite your hand off,” said Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, who netted the first goal against Brighton after little more than a minute.
“It is a great opportunity we have, and it’s a great place we have put ourselves in.”
Martin Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah also scored to fire the Gunners 3-0 ahead by the 47th minute and seemingly cruising to an easy win.
Kaoru Mitoma pulled one back for the Seagulls midway through the half before Gabriel Martinelli netted Arsenal’s fourth and teenager Evan Ferguson scored a second for the home side.
The visitors endured a nervy finish, with Brighton’s resistance only ending after an 89th-minute effort that would have made it 4-3 was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
Earlier, Erling Haaland scored again for City but it was not enough to prevent the champions dropping more points as they were held 1-1 at home by Everton thanks to a stunning equaliser from Demarai Gray.
“Dropping points at home is always tough but I’m always trying to make our game good and we have continued to do it,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
“They made a fantastic goal and when that happens you say congratulations, but in general we did really well.”
Third-place Newcastle’s six-game winning streak ended with a 0-0 draw against Leeds.
Defender Fabian Schar wasted three good opportunities as Leeds held firm to end a two-game losing streak.
“The desire was there, the quality was there but the finishing wasn’t,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.
“We had a number of opportunities that normally we take.”
Still, he called 2022 “a year of real progress”, with his team fighting for a top-four finish under their new Saudi ownership.
“There are big challenges ahead but we look forward to those,” Howe said.
Fulham climbed to seventh place with a 2-1 win over Southampton, while Crystal Palace earned a 2-0 victory at Bournemouth.
Manchester United climbed into the top four for the first time this season thanks to Marcus Rashford, who was relegated to the bench for disciplinary reasons but came on to secure a 1-0 win over Wolves.
Rashford was dropped after being late for a team meeting, but responded by coming on after halftime to give sluggish United the spark they needed.
A fifth win in a row lifted United into the top four and Rashford admitted he was to blame for being axed.
He told BT Sport: “Obviously it’s team rules. I made a mistake. That can happen. I’m obviously disappointed not to play but I understand the decision and I’m happy we managed to win anyway.
“We draw a line under it and move on. I was a little bit late for a meeting. I overslept but it can happen.”
After another big call had paid off, Ten Hag said: “I was not satisfied with the performance in the first half. We have to be more clinical and we know Rashy can score the goals and that’s what he did.
“We are a team, it’s hard to beat and that’s because we are attacking with 11 and defending with 11. When you are out of the pitch and missing the standards and rules it also flows onto the pitch.”
Alejandro Garnacho wasted United’s best chance of the first half when he failed to beat Jose Sa after latching onto Nelson Semedo’s awful backpass.
Wolves were competitive but United still found openings, with Antony heading at Sa.
Rashford was summoned from the bench at the break but it was Wolves who threatened first when David de Gea tipped Ruben Neves’ brilliant free-kick wide.
Yet there would be no stopping Rashford scoring the winner with 14 minutes left when he swapped passes with Bruno Fernandes, held off Jonny and Nathan Collins and beat Sa.
Only a VAR call for handball denied him a second a few minutes later, after the ball hit his arm when Sa saved his initial effort.
The hosts pressed for an equaliser in added time and De Gea needed to be alert to beat away Raul Jimenez’s powerful header.
A motivated Wolves side were looking to escape the relegation zone for the first time in two months, following victory at Everton on Boxing Day, but they end 2023 in the bottom three.
Manager Julen Lopetegui said after his first home league game in charge: “We are disappointed with the result, we deserved more but I want to highlight the belief and the way they fought a big team.
“They were thinking and working to beat them. We have to improve but in the end we deserved more.
“They didn’t have chances in the second half, the match was arriving in a key moment but it was a pity they scored. It was a different match in the last 15 minutes.
“The only way I know to improve is to make more chances and have the confidence in the players to score more. I believe in my players.”
But if Wolves are to survive this season they simply need to score more goals, having netted just 10 times.
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