Brighton & Hove Albion defender Lewis Dunk said that this afternoon’s victory over Arsenal at the Amex Stadium was the side’s most significant of their Premier League campaign so far.
The defender grabbed his first goal of the season in the 2-1 win over the north Londoners – a result that lifted the Seagulls into the top half of the Premier League.
He said, “That feels very special – it was about time we got something off one of the top sides in the division, so it’s a great feeling and everyone in the team is buzzing.
“This is our biggest result of in terms of stature during our time in this division, we knew we were capable to match them and today we were the better side and managed to get what we know is a massive three points.
“It was great to score because there’s been a lot of talk of my exploits at the other end! But it was nice to be able to celebrate one this afternoon.”
The first half on the south-coast saw both Dunk and his central defensive partner Shane Duffy go close from set-pieces, and the captain revealed that the side’s game-plan from those situations was based on what they knew about their opposition.
“We knew they marked zonally so we tried to put the ball in certain areas and attack them when they were stationary.
“Both me and Shane (Duffy) had chances in the first half and we were dominant.
“The team are in good form at the moment and both Glenn [Murray] and Pascal [Gross] were outstanding again today.”
A flashpoint during the second half was the coming together of Albion defender Ezequiel Schelotto and Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac collided in a strong challenge.
Albion’s skipper reflected on the collision between the two players, as well as stressing the importance of staying focused between now and the end of the campaign – despite being in a healthy league position.
“I had a chat to the referee and he made a fair point – it was a 50/50 challenge and both players were looking at the ball, and Ezequiel [Schelotto] was ok so that’s the main thing.
“We’re in a good position now, but we’ve still got a long way to go.
“We just have to keep plugging away and get as many points as we can, and until we’re mathematically safe that’s what we’ll continue to do.”