Albion 0 Arsenal 3

Albion have produced strong finishes to the last two seasons and it has been exhilarating to watch.

One of two things will happen over the final seven games this time.

Either they will do it again, which would probably be enough to secure another European place.

Or they won’t and we will be given a reminder of just how good those run-ins were, just how special.

Beating Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, sometimes by handsome margins, is not to be taken for granted, which maybe we were starting to just a little.

Equally, successive best-ever finishing positions – ninth place, then sixth - after more than 120 years of history are not to be expected every season.

Albion’s exertions and injuries have caught up with them, some of the super powers have got their acts together.

The result has, for now, seen the Seagulls in tenth place, which is the target position but not as high as they have been.

A league position which not so long ago used to feel out of reach now seems underwhelming.

On Saturday, they gave Arsenal a thorough test for a while, were the brighter side for the first few minutes and would later have cancelled out Bukayo Saka’s penalty opener but for David Raya’s superb save from Julio Enciso.

Even for 15 minutes in the second half they were giving as good as they got as temperatures on the pitch rose.

But then came the killer blow of a soft second goal, just as Joao Pedro was waiting to go on as a potential game-changer.

Arsenal matched Albion’s winning margin at the Emirates last year when Leandro Trossard, who lost the ball ahead of Deniz Undav’s goal that day, scored in style after a similar slip-up by his old team-mate Pascal Gross.

The Gunners were more compact off the ball and quicker in deeds when they won it back.

It felt like a bit of a reality check but it need not have been a pointless exercise for the hosts, other than on the league table as they slipped below Chelsea.

Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi said: “We can learn for example in the penalty situation. Tariq Lamptey made a mistake.

“But, for experience, (it’s a) mistake because in that situation in the penalty area has not to be so strong, aggressive.

“He has to wait because it is a dangerous position.

“And then on the second goal we conceded, I think we could defend better.

“We lost a ball with Julio Enciso but Julio was without energy, I think, in that moment and he didn’t run back to defend.

“We are speaking about Julio Enciso (born in) 2004 and he didn’t play for six, seven months for injuries.

“Carlos Baleba, in the second half, I thought he could play better without so (much) energy but taking the defending position.

“Pascal Gross maybe today was tired because he played three games in six days.

“But we are Brighton and we have to accept.”

Home fans were less accepting of the decision by referee John Brooks, backed by video assistant Robert Jones, to award a penalty after Lamptey made some contact on the ball before catching Gabriel Jesus.

Saka, like defender Gabriel and striker Jesus, had earlier been guilty of missing the target, with Bart Verbruggen pulling off a great save from the latter.

But Saka sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot and Raya’s tip-away of Enciso’s curler kept the lead intact.

Enciso, who had looked bright, gave the ball away just before Jorginho crossed for Kai Havertz to turn home the killer second goal at the near post.

Trossard, booed by home fans and denied earlier by Verbruggen’s fine save low to his right, wrapped it up with a clever chip over the Dutchman.

Albion: Verbruggen; Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Gross; Adingra, Moder (Joao Pedro 63), Enciso (Buonanotte 63); Welbeck (Ansu Fati 76). Unused subs: Steele, Veltman, Igor, Barco, Lallana, Peupion.

Yellow card: Baleba 76 Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko (Tomiyasu 72); Rice, Jorginho, Odegaard (Vieira 89); Saka (Martinelli 64), Havertz (Nketiah 89), Gabriel Jesus (Trossard 64). Unused subs: Ramsdale, Kiwior, Partey, Smith Rowe.

Goals: Saka pen 33, Havertz 62, Trossard 86.

Yellow card: Saliba 79, White 90+5.