Albion's target all along in their first season in the Premier League has been 17th.

Staying up has been the sensible goal from day one.

It still is and there is still work to be done, even after the memorable victory over Arsenal at the Amex.

The Seagulls probably need another win and a draw to be safe, two wins to be absolutely sure.

Nobody will be getting carried away after beating Arsenal. Chris Hughton (below left) will make sure of that.

The Argus: Even so, there is another achievable goal for Hughton and his tight-knit group of players.

To become the best team in Albion's history.

Sunday's rip-roaring success was not only the first victory over Arsenal for 36 years, it was also the first time over the same period that three successive home victories in the top flight have been chalked up.

The previous sequence, in September 1982, included the previous win against Arsenal.

A few months earlier, Albion finished as the 13th best team in the country under Mike Bailey.

After seeing off West Ham, Swansea and Arsenal at the Amex, they are tenth with nine games to go.

It is still hideously tight. Albion are as close to Southampton, one of the clubs right in the relegation mire, as they are to Burnley in seventh.

Ending up 12th, or even better, is nevertheless possible.

It will not be easy with such a tough run-in ahead of them.

The points they add to their tally of 34 from here on will come mainly from five matches, starting at Everton on Saturday.

The Argus: Everton have slumped since Sam Allardyce (above) initially dragged them clear of trouble.

It feels like a good time to play them, as proved to be the case with Arsenal, but they are still a tough nut to crack at Goodison Park.

Albion have two other away games next month with realistic expectations of a point or even three, against arch-rivals Crystal Palace and Burnley.

Before that they have two more home matches which fall into the eminently winnable category, against Leicester at the end of this month following another international break and against Huddersfield a week later.

Even the other fixtures in a daunting finish can be approached with more belief after the Arsenal win ended the often-mentioned pointless record against the top six.

Maybe not the trip to the Etihad, yet to be rearranged, to face champions-elect Manchester City, although they may at least already have clinched the title by then.

Or the visit to Anfield to play Liverpool on the final day of the season.

Spurs and especially FA Cup quarter-final hosts Manchester United, on the other hand, will not especially be relishing the Amex.

United have already lost away to the other promoted sides, Huddersfield and Newcastle.

The situation can turn for or against you dramatically in the Premier League.

Who would have thought Albion would be where they are now when, in the space of a week in January, they performed horribly and were beaten at rock-bottom West Brom, then suffered a chastening setback at home to Chelsea?

Six goals were conceded and none scored across those two defeats. At that stage they had won only once in 13 matches.

Now the outlook is a lot brighter, with an opportunity with a strong finish to claim that best-ever distinction.