Cape Town - Brighton manager Chris Hughton believes his team fully deserved the 2-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal on Sunday, and praised their first-half display.
The Seagulls took a two-goal lead at the AMEX Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised just before the break, but the hosts held on for the win.
The result extended Brighton's unbeaten streak in the league to five games and lifted them up to 10th position, seven points clear of the relegation zone.
"That was our best 40 minutes, because of the opposition. We were good against Swansea here, away at Man United we played really well and were unfortunate not to come away with something. But because of the level of the team and the start - we started really well - and created an atmosphere that really helped us," said Hughton, according to The Argus.
"Second half was different. We had good periods, really good periods in that first half. It was a first half where, apart from the two, we might have got one or two more. We started that well. That could change. In the last half-hour, our fortune was on the break. But, over 90 minutes, we were the better team."
He added: "It feels like a big win, particularly given who we were playing against. Our form allowed that to happen.
"We've been on the edge all season. Every game we come into we have to play at a level to get something. We're definitely hitting our best form at the right stage of the season. It's now whether we can take it forward."