Arsenal returned to the summit of the Premier League table with victory over Brighton to regain the upper hand over Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race. Goals from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz either side of the break put the Gunners in control before Leandro Trossard wrapped up all three points with a composed finish against his former club.

Express Sport takes a look at some of the biggest talking points from today's game at the Amex Stadium...

A hatful of early missed chances

It looked as though Arsenal might be made to pay after missing a number of huge early chances to open the scoring. Gabriel Magalhaes had a golden opportunity in the second minute after being picked out by Martin Odegaard but inexplicably headed wide under minimal pressure.

Gabriel Jesus went on to miss the target from just a few yards out, while Saka could have done better with an effort of his own after jinking into the penalty area. Arsenal ended up getting away with it but will be hoping to start quicker from now on after an uncharacteristically wasteful display in the opening stages.

Saka gamble pays off for Arteta

There were some initial doubts over Saka's involvement against Brighton, with the Arsenal winger subjected to a late fitness test after being sidelined in midweek. Mikel Arteta might have been tempted to name him on the bench ahead of next week's crucial games against Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, but the decision to start him ended up paying dividends.

Saka was his usual livewire self, carving out chances time and time again before scoring from the penalty spot to hand Arsenal an early lead. Arteta will simply be hoping for the 22-year-old to stay fit over the coming weeks to give his side the best chance of achieving Premier League glory.

Raya an unsung hero for Arsenal

Arsenal had David Raya to thank for stopping Brighton from getting themselves back into the game just before half-time. The Spaniard pulled off a magnificent save at full stretch to palm away Julio Enciso's ferocious effort, which looked destined to settle in the top corner.

It proved to be a pivotal moment in the match, with Arsenal carrying their slender lead into the break before turning the screw in the second half. A goal at that point would have risked surrendering Arsenal's momentum and giving the hosts a route back into the game, but Raya's intervention ensured that did not happen.

Havertz steps up under pressure

Brighton made a strong start to the second half, with the Seagulls threatening to draw level as they gained the upper hand for the first time in the match. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly nerfed by Havertz, who popped up from close range to double Arsenal's lead just after the hour mark.

His goal saw Arsenal wrestle back control just as the tide was beginning to turn, leaving Brighton with a mountain to climb to get any sort of positive result. Havertz went on to provide a fine assist for Trossard with a clever pass before the Belgian chipped home a late third against his former employers.

Gunners duo survive injury scares

Arteta will be delighted that Raya and Gabriel appear to have survived their recent injury scares at such a crucial point in the season. The former was hauled off at half-time while playing for Spain during last month's international break, sparking fears that he may have been carrying a knock.

Gabriel, meanwhile, had been suffering from an inflamed Achilles tendon but seemed to come through unscathed at the Amex Stadium. Both players will be hugely important assets for Arsenal between now and the end of the season and will be desperate to steer clear of any flare-ups over the coming weeks.