Arsenal aim to rock Brighton in year-ender as title race hots up

LONDON: A year that began dismally for Arsenal will end with the Gunners travelling to Brighton and Hove Albion with a first Premier League title for almost 20 years becoming a tantalising possibility.

The contrast could not be greater as they prepare for their New Year's Eve assignment on the south coast.

Mikel Arteta's team began this year by going five games without a victory in all competitions, crashing out of the League Cup, FA Cup and losing ground in the race to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

Fast forward 12 months and Arsenal go into their final fixture of 2022 with a five-point lead at the top of the table having won eight of their last nine league games.

Even the six-week shutdown for the Qatar World Cup failed to stall Arsenal's progress and this week's 3-1 win over West Ham United showed that even without the injured Gabriel Jesus they are equipped to sustain their title tilt.

The coming weeks, with fixtures coming fast, will test Asrenal's resolve. Brighton, in seventh place, will be no pushovers and next up is high-flying Newcastle United and games against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

There is a steely resolve about Arsenal, however, and their full back Oleksandr Zinchenko, no stranger to title action with Manchester City, is confident they have what it takes.

"We have such a great group of people. We have this feeling of togetherness," he told Arsenal's website.

Brighton took four points off Arsenal last season and also knocked them out of the League Cup in November so Arteta will be well aware of the test his table-toppers face on Saturday.

"It is going to be a big, big test against that team and we had better be ready," the Spaniard said.

By the time Arsenal kick off, their lead may