'Extraordinary' how far Brighton have come

Brighton might be midway through their eighth consecutive season as a Premier League club, but every now and again Albion fans still experience those "I can't believe how far we have come" moments.

I had one during Saturday night's game with Arsenal. Go back to January 2000 and the Gunners were reigning Premier League champions and FA Cup holders. One of several spectacular sides Arsene Wenger built during his long spell in charge.

Brighton meanwhile were about to lose 1-0 in the bottom tier of English football to Leyton Orient. A home game played in front of fewer than 6,000 people at a rented athletics stadium.

I was a ballboy at Withdean that day. Fast forward 25 years and here were the mighty Arsenal, time-wasting from the moment they took a 16th-minute lead against the not-so-mighty Brighton. Mikel Arteta and his title chasing Gunners feared the Albion. Extraordinary.

Whether a team who starts time wasting in the first half against opponents without a win in seven matches deserves to be crowned champions is up for debate.

What cannot be argued against though is the Albion have deserved to hold Arsenal to draws in both meetings between the teams this season.

This is something which has been overshadowed by Arteta blaming the dropped points on the officials – denying Brighton the credit they deserve for coming back on two occasions to strike blows to the Gunners' championship hopes.

And as frustrating as Arsenal's time-wasting was, Fabian Hurzeler and the Albion should take it as a big compliment of how they are viewed by those towards the top of the table – having now taken 10 points from a possible 12 hosting Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham at Amex Stadium.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton