D’Angelo Russell scored 28 points and Anthony Davis had 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers won their fourth straight, 116-97 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

LeBron James added 24 points and 12 assists for the Lakers, who have won nine of 10 to move into eighth place in the Western Conference for the first time since Dec. 29.

Los Angeles is still in position for a play-in tournament spot, but finishing seventh or eighth means it would only need to win one game to earn a playoff spot.

Darius Garland scored 26 points and Caris LeVert added 21 off the bench as Cleveland dropped its third in four games but remained in third place in the East.

The Cavs held a 73-69 lead in the third quarter, but Davis scored nine points during a 19-0 run to give the Lakers an 88-73 advantage. They led by at least 10 the rest of the way.

Nuggets rout Hawks to move atop West

Nikola Jokić notched another triple-double and Jamal Murray scored 16 points in his return as the Denver Nuggets routed the Atlanta Hawks, 142-110 to move atop the Western Conference.

Jokic had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his 25th triple-double of the season even though he sat out the fourth quarter. 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added a season-high 24 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 20 points and Murray handed out six assists in his first appearance since he was hurt March 21 against the Knicks. Denver moved a half-game ahead of idle Minnesota for the West lead.

Embiid powers 76ers to 4th straight win

Joel Embiid tallied 30 points and 12 rebounds in only 23 minutes and the Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a 116-96 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Embiid was 9 of 13 from the field and hit both of his 3-point attempts before exiting with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. Philadelphia was never seriously threatened after that, so coach Nick Nurse left his star center on the bench.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 17 points as the 76ers pulled within a half-game of seventh place in the Eastern Conference and within one game of Indiana for sixth and a guaranteed playoff spot.

Frankie Dettori fell just short of producing an American version of his famous magnificent seven when riding six straight winners on the Santa Anita Derby card.

The Italian memorably won every race at Ascot back in September 1996, on a day which cost British bookmakers an estimated £40million.

Now based across the Atlantic after abandoning plans to retire last year, Dettori looked set to rewrite the record books when rattling off six consecutive victories on Saturday night, including a Santa Anita Oaks triumph.

Sadly, he couldn’t add to his tally from four more rides but it was still a special occasion for the 53-year-old.

He stated: “I adore this place and to be able to say that I won six races on Derby day is beyond my wildest dreams.

“I don’t know how to put it into words. Is it real? Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? It’s incredible. I just don’t know what to say.”

After missing out on Danzingwith Maxine in the opening race, Dettori began his hot streak with maiden winner Ball Don’t Lie.

He then struck on Recinto Rompere in a claiming race before landing the $125,000 Evening Jewel Stakes with Roberta’s Love at big odds.

After that success, Dettori said: “I was surprised, she jumped like a rocket and within 50 yards we were clear of the field and at the rail. I thought if nobody hassled with me, I’d be very hard to catch and that was the case. We went right up to the line.

“I tried to just save as much ground as I could – the filly is ultra consistent and was very well prepared. There were some good fillies in the race, but she put up a good performance.”

Next up came another maiden winner in Kathynmarissa and Dettori then partnered Nothing Like You to victory in the $300,000 Grade Two Santa Anita Oaks.

She was regarded as trainer Bob Baffert’s second string behind odds-on favourite Kinza but swept past her stablemate entering the home straight and ultimately romped home by seven and a half lengths.

“The filly didn’t like the kick-back too much last time but I was lucky to get a decent break and could take up a decent position where I wasn’t getting any kick-back,” said Dettori.

“I was fully loaded at the quarter pole, I just needed a bit of room and she took off.

“What can you say about Bob Baffert, he’s a genius and just lets me do what I do best and we got the job done. We’ve got a good working relationship – he trains them and I ride them, so we’ll keep it that way.”

Baffert added on the Santa Anita website: “He’s just a phenom. He is world class and has brought his talent to every stage. He’s just that good.”

Dettori’s sixth straight success soon followed when Royal Charter, a former William Haggas inmate now trained by Leonard Powell, swept to victory on her American debut.

The veteran did not have a ride in race eight and then had to settle for third place on board Getthemoney in the Grade Three Monrovia Stakes.

A narrow second on the Baffert-trained favourite Imagination in the $750,000 Grade One Santa Anita Derby was the closest Dettori came to reaching seventh heaven again.

That blow was at least softened by losing out to compatriot Antonio Fresu, who dedicated his first Grade One victory in America to fellow Italian Stefano Cherchi, who tragically died from injuries suffered in a fall in Australia recently.

Dettori finished unplaced on Ottoman Prince, formerly handled by Sir Mark Prescott, and Last Call London as he came up one short of the track record of seven wins at a meeting, set by Laffit Pincay Jr back in March 1987.

Substitute Alex Berenguer ended Athletic Bilbao’s 40-year wait for Copa del Rey glory with the decisive penalty in a shoot-out victory over Real Mallorca.

Raul Garcia, Iker Muniain, Mikel Vesga and Berenguer, who were all introduced from the bench, scored from the spot as keeper Julen Agirrezabala saved from Manu Morianes and Nemanja Radonjic blazed over to hand the Basque club the trophy they last win as part of a league and cup double in 1984.

Oihan Sancet’s 50th-minute strike had earlier cancelled out Dani Rodriguez’s first-half opener at the Estadio Olimpico de la Cartuja in Seville, but neither team could find a winner in 120 minutes of football.

Nico Williams served early warning of Bilbao’s intent with a first-minute shot and Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif had to save from Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta as they built up a head of steam.

Agirrezabala denied Vedat Muriqi and Copete in quick succession as Mallorca responded, but he was finally beaten with 21 minutes gone.

His defenders failed to clear Antonio Raillo’s corner, despite having several chances to do so, and Rodriguez pounced to smash home the opening goal from 16 yards.

Raillo headed wide from a tight angle as his side pushed for a second, but Sancet and Gorka Guruzeta both went close to an equaliser, but not as close as Williams in first-half stoppage time, in an even contest.

Mallorca, who beat Real Sociedad on penalties to reach the final, returned knowing they could be just 45 minutes from glory, but equally aware the job was nowhere near done.

Cyle Larin forced a save from Agirrezabala within seconds of the restart, but Bilbao were back in it with 50 minutes gone when Williams slid Sancet in and he fired emphatically past Greif.

Sancet and Williams both took aim from distance and Greif had to keep out headers from Inaki Williams and Guruzeta with Athletic in menacing mood.

Yuri Berchiche called upon Greif with 12 minutes remaining, but there was no separating the sides and extra time was required.

Muniain sent a 102nd-minute free-kick just wide and Agirrezabala kept out Muriqi’s header with seven minutes remaining, but ultimately it came down to penalties.

Paris St Germain needed a late cameo from Kylian Mbappe and an 86th-minute equaliser by Goncalo Ramos to snatch a 1-1 draw with Ligue 1’s bottom club Clermont Foot.

With bigger tests to come – notably the first leg of their Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday – Luis Enrique named a youthful PSG line-up and handed full debuts to a pair of 17-year-olds, Yoram Zague and Senny Mayulu.

But the Spaniard would still have expected to comfortably beat a side who kicked off six points adrift of even the relegation play-off place.

However, he had to summon Mbappe from the bench with 25 minutes remaining and the France forward duly set up Ramos to secure a point.

Enrique was forced into an early change when Nordi Mukiele collided with Clermont keeper Massamba Ndiaye and had to be replaced by Achraf Hakimi.

PSG’s first chance fell to Ramos, who was teed up by the lively Mayulu, but his shot was deflected wide.

Ramos then laid the ball off to Hakimi, whose low shot was saved by Ndiaye.

Clermont won on their last visit to Paris, on the final day of last season.

And they threatened another shock when they took the lead, totally against the run of play, after 31 minutes.

It was a calamitous goal to concede, with Neto Borges racing down the right and sending a high, hopeful cross towards the far post.

Alan Virginius turned the ball back into the path of Habib Keita and when Manuel Ugarte slid in to block, the ball looped up over home keeper Arnau Tenas and beyond the despairing slide of Milan Skriniar.

PSG had the ball in the net just before half-time when Mayulu drove home from the edge of the area, but a VAR check spotted a clear foul by fellow youngster Zague in the build-up.

After the break Marco Asensio swung in a dangerous free-kick which Danilo Pereira headed into the side-netting.

Moments later Mayulu drilled a low cross into the area and Hakimi crashed his shot against the underside of the crossbar.

Mbappe, sent on for his 300th PSG appearance, saw his header saved by Ndiaye after Ramos had rattled the crossbar.

The visiting keeper then made a superb save to tip a Ramos header over.

But Ndiaye was powerless to prevent the equaliser when Mbappe split the defence open lo leave Ramos with a simple finish.

Mbappe could have won it in stoppage time but his shot hit the side-netting.

Young English star Lottie Woad birdied the final two holes to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The 20-year-old Florida State University student had led going into the final round at Augusta National but was overtaken by American Bailey Shoemaker, who shot a bogey-free 66.

Heading down the 17th Woad was one shot behind, but a birdie three drew her level and she showed nerves of steel on the 18th to hole a lengthy putt for a round of 69.

That gave her a three-round total of eight under par, one shot clear of Shoemaker and four ahead of Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad in third.

Woad, from Farnham, also birdied the 15th but she told reporters: “I feel like the three birdies I got were probably not as important as my par save on 14. I think if I had gone three back at that point it would have been pretty difficult.

“Teeing off only having a two-shot lead I knew someone was probably going to overtake me. I was prepared for someone to go low and they did.

“When I was two back, I thought, ‘OK, I’ve got the birdie chances they had,’ and just gave myself the chances at the end and luckily holed some putts.

“I was hoping it was going to be a nice stress-free day but it was far from that. But in the end it was a cooler way to finish.

“To be in the mix on the back nine at Augusta is something everyone dreams about. I just tried to really embrace it. It’s really cool to be standing in the same place as the Masters champions have stood and just follow in their footsteps a little bit.”

Woad’s victory earns her a place in the field for the Women’s Open and the US Women’s Open, and she said: “I want to be a professional and be playing in these events.

“To get this experience so early on will be great for me. I’ve never played in a major before, I’ve played in a couple of pro events but never a LPGA event. It’s going to be really exciting for me.”

Luke Donald and Justin Rose were among those to send their congratulations on social media.

Young English star Lottie Woad birdied the final two holes to win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The 20-year-old Florida State University student had led going into the final round at Augusta National but was overtaken by American Bailey Shoemaker, who shot a bogey-free 66.

Heading down the 17th Woad was one shot behind, but a birdie three drew her level and she showed nerves of steel on the 18th to hole a lengthy putt for a round of 69.

That gave her a three-round total of eight under par, one shot clear of Shoemaker and four ahead of Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad in third.

Woad, from Farnham, also birdied the 15th but she told reporters: “I feel like the three birdies I got were probably not as important as my par save on 14. I think if I had gone three back at that point it would have been pretty difficult.

“Teeing off only having a two-shot lead I knew someone was probably going to overtake me. I was prepared for someone to go low and they did.

“When I was two back, I thought, ‘OK, I’ve got the birdie chances they had,’ and just gave myself the chances at the end and luckily holed some putts.

“I was hoping it was going to be a nice stress-free day but it was far from that. But in the end it was a cooler way to finish.

“To be in the mix on the back nine at Augusta is something everyone dreams about. I just tried to really embrace it. It’s really cool to be standing in the same place as the Masters champions have stood and just follow in their footsteps a little bit.”

Woad’s victory earns her a place in the field for the Women’s Open and the US Women’s Open, and she said: “I want to be a professional and be playing in these events.

“To get this experience so early on will be great for me. I’ve never played in a major before, I’ve played in a couple of pro events but never a LPGA event. It’s going to be really exciting for me.”

Luke Donald and Justin Rose were among those to send their congratulations on social media.

Mark Williams survived an unlikely fightback to beat Mark Allen 10-5 and book a mouthwatering Tour Championship final with Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Welshman raced into a 9-0 lead at Manchester Central, but then saw the Northern Irishman take five frames on the trot to delay the seemingly inevitable.

Asked if he had been worried, Williams told ITV3: “Absolutely. Nine-nil, you can’t lose really, but an hour later it’s 9-5, if he wins that one 9-6, then your bum is going, there’s no question.”

The three-time world champion imposed a stranglehold on the match from the off, winning the first two frames before successive breaks of 99, 105 and 112 – he missed the final red in the latter as he closed in on a maximum – made it 5-0 as things started to turn ugly for Allen.

Williams scrapped his way over the line in the sixth and eased further ahead in the seventh before completing a first-session whitewash.

He picked up where he had left off in the evening session, rattling in a clearance of 140 to go 9-0 ahead, but Allen stopped the rot with a break of 65 to avoid the whitewash.

With Williams appearing to lose concentration, Allen won the next four frames – the last of them with a break of 69 – to reduce the deficit to 9-5.

However, the 49-year-old regained his composure to compile a decisive 75 to make Sunday’s final.

Williams said: “If I had to pick, it would definitely be O’Sullivan to play. He’s the best player by a mile, but I’m not afraid to play him. I’m going to enjoy it.”

Mikel Arteta savoured a “big, big performance” after Arsenal reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by ending Brighton’s impressive home form with a thumping 3-0 victory.

The title-chasing Gunners arrived at the Amex Stadium having dropped to third place in the table following Manchester City’s 4-2 success at Crystal Palace in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Bukayo Saka set Arteta’s men on course to return to the summit by converting a 33rd-minute penalty before second-half goals from Kai Havertz and substitute Leandro Trossard completed a comprehensive win.

The result – Albion’s first top-flight home loss in more than seven months – puts Arsenal a point ahead of both Liverpool, who play their game in hand at rivals Manchester United on Sunday, and City.

“I’m really happy, really proud of the boys,” said Gunners boss Arteta.

“They put in a big, big performance to beat this great Brighton side.

“They haven’t lost here since August and that tells you the difficulty of the task but we were really good today.”

Fit-again Saka was recalled after sitting out the 2-0 midweek win over Luton with a muscular problem.

The England forward scored from the spot when Seagulls full-back Tariq Lamptey was penalised for bringing down Gabriel Jesus, despite brushing the top of the ball.

Havertz rewarded Arsenal’s dominance by tapping home Jorginho’s centre 28 minutes from time before substitute Trossard ran half the length of the pitch to rub salt into the wounds of his former club late on.

“The understanding between the attacking players today was superb,” said Arteta.

“They had real purpose and connection and we created many chances.”

Arsenal led the division for much of last season before falling short in the final weeks.

The Gunners, who begin their two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening, have won 10 of 11 top-flight fixtures in 2024, with seven games to go.

“We are in a really good moment,” said Arteta.

“We have the squad healthy, with a really good energy, with a lot of confidence individually and collectively because they are performing really well and we are winning a lot of matches.

“We just have to carry on doing what we’re doing.”

Brighton dropped to 10th position, below Chelsea on goal difference, as their quest for a second successive season of European football suffered a setback.

Injury-hit Albion faded from a positive start and rarely threatened Gunners goalkeeper David Raya.

Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi had no complaints about the award of Arsenal’s penalty and urged his players to quickly move on.

“I thought it was clear but I don’t want to speak about the decisions of the referee,” he said of the spot-kick.

“We lost not for the referee’s responsibility.

“We played a good game until the second goal we conceded but we didn’t shoot enough to score. We weren’t strong enough to score.

“Arsenal are one of the best teams in the Premier League. We knew that before the game.

“We fought in a good way.

“The penalty was clear and we move on trying to work better, to improve our young players, to recover our eight injured players, and we try to compete to reach another season in the European positions.”

Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s status as a big club dictates the style that has helped them loosen their goalscoring inhibitions this season.

With nine Premier League games still to play the team have already scored 15 more goals than they managed in the entirety of the last campaign, when they recorded the club’s lowest return in almost a century.

After failing to find the net in three of Pochettino’s first six games in charge, including consecutive blanks against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Aston Villa, there has been a significant change in the Argentinian’s approach, favouring a more fluid, open style that has seen goals conceded as well as scored.

The 4-3 win against Manchester United on Thursday means there have been a combined 33 goals for and against Chelsea in their last six games in all competitions at Stamford Bridge.

In total there have been 10 games this season in which the team has either scored or conceded four or more goals – or both, in the case of their 4-4 draw with Manchester City – whilst the swashbuckling style has also seen 13 penalties awarded in their favour.

By contrast, the team went the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign without scoring four in a match.

“The quality is our philosophy,” said Pochettino, who takes his team to Bramall Lane to face the league’s bottom side Sheffield United on Sunday.

“We are always thinking to go forward, to create chances. We are in the top four in the Premier League at creating big chances.

“It’s about philosophy. We see different clubs that try to get goals or chances through set-pieces, but we are Chelsea. We are a big club. A big club is about creating a philosophy to play good football, and play in the opposite half.

“It’s about ideas, about how we taste football. We have a lot of attempts in the last third. It’s why we get (so many) penalties. That is a good quality of the team, and of the football we want to apply here at Chelsea.”

Chelsea have forced themselves into the reckoning for European qualification off the back of their longest unbeaten league run in almost 18 months.

Despite not playing they climbed to ninth in the league on Saturday courtesy of Brighton’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.

They have games in hand which if won would see them overtake the two teams directly above them, Newcastle and West Ham, and draw to within two points of sixth-place Manchester United, who play Liverpool on Sunday.

Sixth is almost certain be a Europa League qualifying spot, though they could also reach the competition by winning the FA Cup.

Pochettino will lead his team out in the semi-final against City at Wembley on April 20.

Florian Wirtz’s penalty took Bayer Leverkusen to within touching distance of the Bundesliga title as Bayern Munich squandered a two-goal lead to leave the leaders 16 points clear.

Wirtz struck from the spot eight minutes into added time at the end of the first half after Christopher Trimmel had handled to secure a 1-0 win at Union Berlin, who had seen Robin Gosens dismissed for a second bookable offence minutes earlier.

Xabi Alonso’s men could win the league next weekend, when they face Werder Bremen on Sunday, a day after Bayern host Cologne with both sides have just 18 points to play for.

The reigning champions, who set out this season looking for a 12th successive title, conceded further ground as they went down 3-2 at Heidenheim.

Harry Kane’s 32nd league goal of the season and Serge Gnabry’s strike had given the visitors a healthy half-time lead, but goals from Kevin Sessa and Tim Kleindienst inside a minute dragged the promoted side back into it before Kleindienst snatched a famous victory 11 minutes from time.

Serhou Guirassy’s 64th-minute strike sent third-placed Stuttgart level with Thomas Tuchel’s side on points courtesy of a 1-0 win at Borussia Dortmund, who dropped out of the top four as a result.

Lois Openda claimed a double to help RB Leipzig maintain the pace in the race for a Champions League spot with a 4-1 victory at Freiburg.

Openda’s contribution came in between Amadou Haidara’s first-minute opener and Benjamin Sesko’s strike nine minutes after the restart with substitute Vincenzo Grifo reducing the deficit.

Lee Jae-sung scored twice to help Mainz to a 4-0 home win over bottom-of-the-table Darmstadt with Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Brajan Gruda also on the scoresheet, while substitutes Steffen Tigges and Luca Waldschmidt struck at the death as Cologne recovered from Felix Passlack’s opener to beat Bochum 2-1.

AC Milan maintained their seemingly vain pursuit of Serie A leaders Inter Milan with a regulation 3-0 win over 10-man Lecce.

Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud gave the Rossoneri control inside the first 20 minutes at the San Siro before the visitors had Nikola Krstovic dismissed, and Rafael Leao wrapped up a fifth successive league victory 12 minutes after the break.

Gianluca Mancini handed Roma boss Daniele De Rossi victory in his first Derby della Capitale as he headed home Paulo Dybala’s corner to clinch a 1-0 victory over Lazio.

In Ligue 1, Emmanuel Sabbi’s late penalty ensured Le Havre emerged from their trip to Lens with a 1-1 draw as he cancelled out Przemyslaw Frankowski’s opener to further dent the home side’s hopes of a top-four finish.

Gianluca Mancini headed home the winning goal in the Derby della Capitale as Roma defeated rivals Lazio 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.

In a typically tight affair, Mancini’s 42nd-minute header proved the difference between the two sides as Daniele De Rossi won his first Rome derby as a coach.

Daichi Kamada did have the ball in the net for Lazio but the Japanese international was in an offside position from Matteo Guendouzi’s defence-splitting pass.

While Lazio failed to bounce back from the Coppa Italia semi-final defeat to Juventus, Roma consolidated their grip on fifth in Serie A.

De Rossi’s side started the game on the front foot, winning a corner inside the first minute, with Leandro Paredes’s drive an early warning for Lazio.

Lazio captain Ciro Immobile had an early sight of goal for the Biancocelesti when they won the ball high up the pitch and Immobile struck a right footed effort into the side netting.

At the other end, a Roma free-kick landed at an unmarked Diego Llorente, who saw two half-volleys blocked, the second of which bounced just wide of a post.

Lorenzo Pellegrini, back in the Roma team after suspension, then tested goalkeeper Christos Mandas with a long-range effort, and the Giallorossi spurned another opportunity when Zeki Celik headed over from close range.

Roma's goal did arrive before half-time, though – Mancini powering a header beyond the despairing reach of Christos Mandas.

After the break, Pellegrini narrowly curled wide a free kick before Romelu Lukaku surged forward and played in Stephan El Shaarawy, who smashed the woodwork.  

Lukaku almost tapped in from Bryan Cristante’s centre, before Kamada saw what he thought was an equaliser disallowed for offside.

Tensions heated up between both sets of players with an altercation between Guendouzi and Paulo Dybala sparking the fire, but Roma ultimately kept their discipline to hold off late Lazio pressure and further their hopes of Champions League qualification.

De Rossi's Roma resurgence continues

Roma stretched their unbeaten run to seven league matches to keep their Champions League ambitions alive.

Roma dominated possession throughout the match and midfielder Pellegrini was a welcome return to the midfield, though striker Lukaku was rarely involved with just eight touches in the first half.

The Giallorossi did manage their breakthrough after neat intricate play earned a corner and Dybala’s delivery was met by Mancini, for his fourth league goal of the season.

They could not build on the dominant first half after the break, showing a different side of their game to limit Lazio to few clear-cut chances.

Lazio's European hopes fading

Lazio’s four-match unbeaten streak against their rivals in the 183rd edition of this derby came to an end.

They have now lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions and sit four points off European qualification.

They offered little in the first half, with no shots on target as Roma dominated proceedings and they have still not won a Serie A match when behind at the break.

Coach Igor Tudor made three changes at half-time, including taking off Immobile, and Lazio managed to push Roma deeper into their own half, but Mile Svilar remained largely untested. 

Arsenal regained top spot in the Premier League after goals from Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard secured a thumping 3-0 success which dented Brighton’s push for Europe.

Mikel Arteta’s men arrived at the Amex Stadium having dropped to third place in the table following Manchester City’s 4-2 win at Crystal Palace in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Fit-again top scorer Saka set the Gunners on course to return to the summit by converting a debatable first-half penalty before substitute Trossard sealed victory over his former club following a tap-in from Havertz.

The north London visitors were worthy winners on the south coast and sit a point ahead of both Liverpool, who play their game in hand at Manchester United on Sunday, and City as attention switches to a Champions League quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich.

Brighton faded from a strong start and, despite being unhappy with the decision to award a spot-kick for Tariq Lamptey’s challenge on Gabriel Jesus, could have few complaints about the result.

The Seagulls’ first top-flight home loss in 13 outings dating back to August leaves them with an uphill task to secure continental football for the second successive year on the back of this season’s Europa League adventure.

England international Saka overcame a muscle injury to start in Sussex and was recalled alongside Declan Rice, Jorginho and Jesus following Wednesday evening’s routine 2-0 win over Luton.

Brighton began brightly in an entertaining opening but it was Arsenal who created – and squandered – a string of early chances.

After Gabriel headed wastefully off target from Martin Odegaard’s free-kick, the lively Saka curled narrowly wide before teeing up Jesus to force a fine diving save out of Bart Verbruggen.

Gunners manager Arteta expressed further frustration on the touchline just two minutes later when Jesus failed to test Seagulls goalkeeper Verbruggen with an unmarked header from a Havertz cross.

For all of their neat interplay, Brighton, whose five changes included a recall for former Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck, were lacking a cutting edge.

Lamptey had been central to the Seagulls’ slick start but moments after returning to the field following treatment he gifted the Gunners a golden chance to edge ahead.

While the full-back brushed the ball with his left foot as he brought down Jesus in the 18-yard box, referee John Brooks had little hesitation in pointing to the spot, allowing Saka to confidently find the bottom left corner from 12 yards and claim his 14th league goal this term.

Unhappy home fans wasted little time in venting displeasure at the perceived injustice of the 33rd-minute opener as the contest slipped into a temporary lull.

Julio Enciso almost enlivened Seagulls supporters with a stunning curling effort from distance, which was clawed away by David Raya, before the match officials were jeered off at the break.

Arsenal could easily have been out of sight at the interval but came back out with plenty still to do.

Jesus and Odegaard each went close to doubling the lead before the Gunners delivered the knockout blow in the 62nd minute.

Jorginho was alert to intercept Enciso’s attempted pass deep in Albion territory and, after receiving the ball back from Odegaard, his low centre from the right was slotted home by Havertz in front of the sold-out away end.

Arteta exuberantly celebrated the strike and promptly withdrew Saka and Jesus ahead of Tuesday’s European first leg at home to Bayern.

Roberto De Zerbi’s injury-hit hosts had little answer to the two-goal deficit and contributed to their own undoing for the Gunners’ third as Trossard, who left Albion last year, rubbed salt into their wounds four minutes from time.

Pascal Gross’ dithering allowed Havertz to release Belgium forward Trossard and he ran half the length of the pitch before dinking over Verbruggen to seal Arsenal’s 10th league win from 11 outings in 2024.