Arsenal doesn't need to be 'friendly' on the path to winning the Premier League.

Victory sometimes requires no sympathy. For Arsenal, the most important thing right now is not pleasing everyone, but moving closer to the English Premier League title.

The 1-0 win at Brighton may not have been pretty, and was even criticized, but it holds immense significance in the title race. The most memorable moment of the match didn't even happen on the pitch. As Arsenal fans were leaving the stands after the hard-fought win, news arrived that Manchester City had been held to a draw by Nottingham Forest at the Etihad.

That result allowed Arsenal to extend their lead to seven points and put the title race completely back in their hands. Immediate excitement erupted among the away supporters as they chanted that everyone must now believe Arsenal will be champions.

The match itself was a completely different story. Arsenal scored early in the ninth minute when Bukayo Saka's not-too-dangerous shot took a slight deflection off Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, wrong-footing goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. That was also the decisive moment of the match.

After the goal, Arsenal was less interested in attacking. Mikel Arteta's team deliberately slowed the tempo, kept possession securely, and conserved energy. This greatly frustrated Brighton and their home fans. Every time Arsenal delayed a restart, boos echoed around the stadium. Goalkeeper David Raya went down on multiple occasions to waste time and was even warned by referee Chris Kavanagh.

The tense atmosphere spilled over to the technical area. Brighton's coach Fabian Hurzeler repeatedly protested to the officials and at one point exchanged words with Arteta. An Arsenal defender even gestured for silence towards Hurzeler while taking a throw-in near Brighton's coaching zone.

In the second half, Brighton played with more determination after Yankuba Minteh came on and began to apply pressure. However, Arsenal demonstrated the necessary pragmatism. After struggling in the second half of some previous matches, this time they controlled the final 20 minutes well and protected their lead relatively securely.

After the match, Hurzeler couldn't hide his anger. He stated that Arsenal did whatever it took to win and exploited gaps in the rules to waste time. In his view, if Arsenal wins the title, no one will ask how they won, but such football does not deserve praise. Hurzeler even said Brighton was the only team that truly tried to play football in this match.