Gerry Ryan scored the winner last time Albion beat – or indeed did not lose against - Arsenal.

But it was not the Irish forward’s only memorable goal against the Gunners.

Ryan struck from Gary Stevens’ low cross to hand the Seagulls the top-flight points in September 1982.

It was a great afternoon for a home side in which Stevens was outstanding as they bounced back from hammerings by 5-0 at West Brom and 4-0 at Nottingham Forest.

But an attendance figure of 13,507 reflected the fact that all was not well.

Albion went down that season, making Ryan’s great afternoon the last top-flight meeting between the clubs in Brighton and Hove.

Ryan, now back in Dublin and recovering from a recent heart attack, would love to see another home win tomorrow.

The Argus:

Gerry Ryan

He told The Argus last night: “I don’t remember much about the game but I remember the goal. It was a case of right place, right time.

“It was a big win for us because they had beaten us heavily a few times.

“But I also scored my first goal in English football against Arsenal.

“That was past Pat Jennings for Derby in 1977 when we won 3-1 at Highbury.

“The Brighton goal was just as memorable because of the number of times they had beaten us.”

Andy Ritchie and Gordon Smith played down the middle for Albion but a picture in the Evening Argus showed Ryan tangling with centre-back David O’Leary, his fellow Irishman.

Ryan said: “I used to come infield quite a lot. David was fast. He was a tall lad but very quick.”

By this time, Arsenal’s large Irish fraternity of the late 1970s – including would-be Seagulls Frank Stapleton, Liam Brady and Sammy Nelson – was no more.

Ryan was never part of that but he remembers Arsenal’s former chief scout making him an offer.

He recalled: “His name was Gordon Clark and he came to visit me but by that time he was at Fulham.

“We were talking. He had been involved in Liam and Frank going over to England.

“He said he wanted me to go to Fulham but I’d had a lot of offers by then – Newcastle, QPR, Aston Villa and a few others. I went to Derby because they offered the most money.

“We spoke to Newcastle and I asked to think about it overnight.

“When I got back to my hotel in Derby, the Doc (Derby manager Tommy Docherty) was there and said, ‘Whatever Newcastle offered you, I’ll double it’.”

Ryan will watch the game on television tomorrow and is pleased to report improving health after suffering a heart attack in late October.

He was kept in hospital for six weeks.

The 62-year-old said with a laugh: “I had cancer in 2012, I had a stroke in 2007. I’m going through them all.”

Albion: Digweed; Shanks, Stevens, Gatting, Nelson; Stille (Smillie 73), Grealish, Case, Ryan; Ritchie, Smith.

Arsenal: Wood; Hollins, O’Leary, Whyte, Devine; Talbot (Hawley 46), Robson, Davis; Rix, Woodcock, Chapman.