Jan Paul van Hecke the bright spark in an otherwise ailing Albion side as the Seagulls suffered a harsh reality check with a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal, writes Anujith Vijayakumar.

The Dutchman has had several impactful displays for the Seagulls this season, but his showing against Arsenal was brave in the face of defeat.

Van Hecke had a commendable performance as he did well to nullify Kai Havertz’s impact up front to the best of his abilities.

However, it was his ability on the ball that stood out.

His pace, positioning, anticipation and recovery were vital to Albion not conceding more goals than they did.

The 23-year-old was constantly able to find Danny Welbeck, Pascal Gross and Jakub Moder between the lines in a compact Gunners midfield during the first half.

Unfortunately for him, the trio were unable to capitalise in those moments.

Van Hecke was instrumental in creating opportunities for the Albion midfielders and forwards with his ball carrying and progression into the final third.

His only blemish from an otherwise formidable performance was the foul he conceded in the first minute of the game as he brought down Havertz outside the box, which eventually led to a goal scoring chance for the North London side.

Albion must retain his services at all costs this summer if they aspire to become a European mainstay in the coming years.