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...
1. Jason Steele - 7/10
Recovering from a shaky start with the ball at his feet, where heavy first touches and misplaced passes put him under sizable pressure, Steele made some very important saves throughout the second half. Denying goals that the majority of the stadium thought were already in, he impressed as a goalkeeper, but perhaps failed to prove his ability with the ball at his feet. 7/10 Photo: Clive Rose
2. Tariq Lamptey - 9/10
Playing on the left of a back-four, he linked up well with Sarmiento throughout the first half and gave a good defensive account of himself. Defending with real intensity and tenacity, he showed no signs of discomfort in an unusual position. A wonderful goal showed his pace and quality on the ball, as he slotted home on his weaker foot. 9/10 Photo: Clive Rose
3. Lewis Dunk 7/10
Substituted in the 60th minute. Looks more and more like the perfect player for De Zerbi’s football. Partnered Colwill well and made the loanee’s game far easier. Absolute calmness and composure, and emphatic defensive influence when needed. 8/10 Photo: Mike Hewitt
4. Levi Colwill 8/10
Looked extremely calm and cool throughout the game. Very rarely making a mistake, it seemed as though he plays every week. Definitely one to watch out for in the starting XI for the rest of the season. 8/10 Photo: Clive Rose