Brighton are the new second-placed side in the Premier League, five points behind Arsenal, after Sunday’s 2-0 win over ten-man Brentford at the Amex. Their most creative player, though, wants nothing to do with title talk.
Diego Gómez’s 15th-minute strike and a Pascal Gross penalty did the job against a Brentford side who lost Igor Thiago to a red card after 23 minutes. It was Brighton’s sixth win in seven league games and lifted them above Manchester City, who were beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest less than 24 hours earlier.
So the Gunners go into the international break with a new name directly beneath them, and it is a side that has already beaten them this season.
What did Pascal Gross say about the title race?
The 35-year-old shut it down straight away. Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Gross said: “No, we are not in a title race. But we have started the season really well. It’s the beginning of the season.”
He added: “You see the Premier League, the margins and you look at the results, we are not getting carried away yet. Every game we have to suffer a lot. Sometimes it is momentum, but we are really pleased to head into the international break like this.”
That is the sensible line to take in November. It is also a little harder to believe every week.
How the top of the table looks going into the break
| Pos | Club | Played | W-D-L | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 10 | 9-0-1 | 27 |
| 2 | Brighton | 10 | 7-1-2 | 22 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 10 | 7-0-3 | 21 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 10 | 5-3-2 | 18 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 10 | 5-1-4 | 16 |
Liverpool won 3-1 at Crystal Palace on Sunday to stay nine points back, while Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland leaves them 11 adrift. Those two are the only sides to have beaten Brighton in the league this season, but neither looks ready to keep pace with the top two right now.
Are Brighton genuine challengers?
The numbers say this is no fluke. Brighton have won seven of their first ten games, and that run includes wins over Arsenal and City. Arsenal fans will not need reminding of the 3-0 defeat at the Amex in September, still the champions’ only league loss of the campaign.
They have scored 26 league goals, more than anybody else, and created the second-highest number of big chances in the division with 37. At the other end, they share the league’s best clean sheet tally with seven.
Gross is at the heart of it. Back at the club since January after his spell at Borussia Dortmund, he has created eight big chances, more than any other player in the league. Against Brentford he scored and created at least five chances, the 27th time since the start of 2017-18 he has done that in a match. Only Kevin De Bruyne (48) and Bruno Fernandes (47) have done it more often.
And they are getting players back
Yankuba Minteh made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Brentford, and Kaoru Mitoma, out since May with a hamstring problem, is expected to follow him back. For a side already flying, that is not what the leaders want to hear.
Leon Osman told BBC Sport: “The way they’re playing at the moment, Champions League qualification is probably the minimum that you’d expect Brighton to achieve. Can they win the league? I think it would be unexpected if they did.”
Where does this leave Man City?
Falling back. Defeat at the City Ground was a third league loss in a row for Enzo Maresca’s side, as we covered when Forest pushed City six points behind Arsenal on Saturday night.
City still have the head-to-head chance to close the gap: they visit the Emirates on Sunday 29 November. There is also the cloud of the financial case. City were found guilty of breaching 114 Premier League financial rules by an independent commission earlier this year, and they are appealing the verdict and deny any wrongdoing.
What comes next for Arsenal and Brighton?
Arsenal’s first game back is away at Newcastle United on Saturday 21 November (5.30pm UK). City come to N5 eight days later, and then it is a trip to Brentford on Wednesday 2 December, a game the suspended Igor Thiago will miss.
Brighton’s restart looks kinder on paper: they go to Hull City on Sunday 22 November, then host Newcastle and visit Bournemouth.
Arsenal vs Brighton title race: should the Gunners worry?
Not yet, but they should take it seriously. Five points after ten games is a healthy cushion, and Arsenal have the best defence in the league. What makes Brighton different from the usual early-season surprise is that the numbers back them up, and they have already shown they can beat Arteta’s side.
Our view is that City at home on 29 November is still the bigger date in the diary. Win that, and Arsenal will have pushed the old rival further away while Brighton find out whether they can keep this going through the winter. If Gross and company are still five points behind at Christmas, nobody at the Emirates will be calling it a one-horse race.
