Arsenal made 10 changes for the visit of Brighton, with only William Saliba keeping his place from the win at Chelsea. Estonia international goalkeeper Karl Hein was handed his debut while there were rare starts for Marquinhos, Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares.
Brighton showed eight alterations from their win at Wolves as Danny Welbeck started against his former club and the likes of Levi Colwill and Tariq Lamptey also came in.
Despite a slow start, Arsenal broke the deadlock as Nketiah tucked away a fine finish. Brighton would have felt aggrieved at going behind but levelled from the penalty spot after Hein slipped over before jumping up and bursting off his line, bringing down Welbeck. The England international then dusted himself off to covert the resulting spot-kick and level matters.
Brighton turned things around at the Emirates Stadium just before the hour as Kaoru Mitoma, off the bench at the break, coolly finished past Hein.
The Seagulls added a third through Tariq Lamptey, the full-back surging forward and finishing well past a helpless Hein. A deserved win and Roberto De Zerbi’s third consecutive victory in all competitions.
Ben Hoggan was our man at the Emirates Stadium and here’s his player ratings...
5. Solly March 7/10
Substituted at half time. Looked as sharp as he has done in recent weeks, but didn’t see much of the ball. A good through ball that led to Welbeck’s penalty and nearly beating the last defender for pace were the main flashes of the form he’s had recently. 7/10 Photo: Ryan Pierse
6. Danny Welbeck 9/10
After Adam Lallana’s comments on his value to the team, Welbeck made a strong case for their accuracy. Dropping into deeper areas, wider areas and anywhere there was space, he showed fluidity and adaptability that is rare in strikers. Won and scored a good penalty that seemed to never be in doubt, he showed that his pace is still absolutely a threat. 9/10 Photo: GLYN KIRK
7. Julio Sarmiento 8/10
Showed fantastic dynamism and intensity throughout the game. He seemed eager to impress and I’m sure he did just that. Causing real problems by cutting in from the left with quick feet, he seems a very exciting prospect. His tenacity and enthusiasm did run slightly astray as he gave away a dangerous free-kick and received a yellow card in the 43rd minute, his only real mistake of the game. 8/10 Photo: Charlie Crowhurst
8. Julio Enciso 6/10
Showed signs of promise in defence and attack, operating well in the middle of the press. Failed to really establish himself in the game however, despite these glimpses of a promising talent who moves well with and without the ball. 6/10 Photo: Alex Pantling