It started with a packed house rising to acclaim perhaps the best Albion goal many of them had ever seen.

It ended with this deflating defeat before empty stands at the Amex.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh brought 2020 in with a bang as his overhead kick on New Year’s Day secured a draw against Chelsea.

What no one could have guessed then was that would be the first of 16 occasions – out of 17 – on which the Seagulls would take less than the full three points on home turf this year.

And, of course, that fans would be absent for so many of those games as the nation battled a deadly virus.

Albion have been good on their travels but the calendar year at the Amex was given an appropriate send-off this evening in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Good riddance, 2020 – and a tentative welcome to a 2021 which, in a footballing context, currently seems to offer a scrap to stay in the Premier League.

Albion weren’t bad for much of this final outing of the year. They were quite good in certain parts of the match and certain parts of the pitch.

But they weren’t ruthless or menacing enough and were punished for a moment of inattention in defence.

That's so 2020!

A lone Alexandre Lacazette goal for an ordinary Arsenal side with one or two extraordinary talents left the Seagulls empty-handed as a promising first-half display from a much-changed team gave way to a toothless second-half showing.

Lacazette had only just gone on when he was allowed ample time to take a touch and guide home the 66th-minute winner.

Albion round off the year with just one league win at the Amex – and none so far this season.

They could well end 2021 in the Championship if they cannot sort out their home results.

Graham Potter sprang surprises in his Albion line-up.

He made six changes to the team which kicked off at West Ham just two days earlier.

Danny Welbeck, Neal Maupay and Solly March were among those left out of the starting XI.

Alexis Mac Allister, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Davy Propper, Pascal Gross, Joel Veltman and Bernardo all came into the XI.

Ben White and Leandro Trossard also dropped to the bench while Aaron Connolly returned to the matchday 20.

Adam Lallana, who started at West Ham, was ruled out by a groin niggle and Tariq Lamptey was still absent due to an ongoing hamstring issue.

Arsenal, having had an extra day of rest, made just one change from the XI which kicked off their revitalising 3-1 win over Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replacing Lacazette in attack.

It was certainly an unexpected line-up from Albion, with Veltman and Bernardo in wing-back roles and Mac Allister playing off Jahanbakhsh in attack.

Arsenal dominated possession very early on but the hosts grew into the game, played some good stuff and worked the only two chances of the opening quarter.

Jahanbakhsh used his right outstep to flick the ball over from a low Bernardo cross after some attractive build-up play.

And Dan Burn looped a header over from Yves Bissouma’s cross after Mac Allister had raced away down the right and forced a corner as his shot was blocked.

Granit Xhaka, who scored from a free-kick against Chelsea, was just over with a similar effort for the Gunners heading towards the half-hour.

The first set-piece test was passed as Robert Sanchez came a long way to catch a high ball into the box from a free-kick as Lewis Dunk stepped aside and let him do his work.

As Albion continued to look the sharper side, Mac Allister fired past the top corner from outside the box after the Gunners were forced into a mistake.

Then Bernd Leno got down sharply to his right to save from Jahanbakhsh.

It was a decent first half for the hosts and they might have gone ahead early in the second.

Mac Allister forced the Gunners to concede a corner from which a tempting delivery from Gross could have been turned in by Dunk or Bernardo.

Soon after, they were relieved not to be behind.

The excellent Bukayo Saka got away down the Arsenal left and crossed low for what looked a certain tap-in by Aubameyang.

He met it cleanly enough but Sanchez formed a strong barrier and the ball flew behind off his knee for a terrific save.

As Arsenal stepped up a gear, Gabriel Martinelli shot over from a very good position in the box before, on the next attack, Aubameyang angled a shot wide of the far post as he broke away menacingly.

Dunk was first in the book as he pulled back the increasingly influential Emile Smith Rowe.

There was better from Albion as they passed from deep and Veltman sent in Propper for a low shot which Leno saved at his near post.

But Arsenal went ahead with their next possession.

Lacazette had only just gone on for Martinelli and he was left in yards of space when Saka pulled the ball across from the right, expertly taking a touch and curling his shot between Dunk and the post.

READ MORE: Potter's reaction to home defeat

Albion’s response was immediate as Maupay and March joined the action, soon to be followed by Trossard.

The hosts pushed men forward and looked to get March on the ball with Arsenal happy to pull all 11 men back to defend.

But it never really looked like there would be a way through.

Not even for old time's sake.

Albion: Sanchez; Webster, Dunk, Burn; Veltman, Bissouma, Propper (March 68), Gross, Bernardo; Mac Allister (Maupay 67); Jahanbakhsh (Trossard 75). Subs: Steele, White, Molumby, Connolly, Welbeck, Zeqiri.

Yellow card: Dunk (59) foul, Jahanbakhsh (65) foul.

Arsenal: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Pablo Mari, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka (Ceballos 81), Smith Rowe (Maitland-Niles 89), Martinelli (Lacazette 66); Aubameyang. Subs: Runarsson, Cedric, Pepe, Mustafi, Willock, Nketiah.

Goal: Lacazette 66.

Referee: Martin Atkinson.