The Gunners won 1-0 thanks to Bukayo Saka's deflected effort and held strong for the three points. The result leaves the Gunners now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
“I loved it,” Arteta said afterwards. “It was a really tough one, we knew that. We played so many games with very, very high intensity and demands, and you could see in certain moments that we lacked freshness, especially with the ball, to have more composure, for the heart rate to be a little bit lower to make better decisions and be a bit more precise.
“So when you don't do that, you have to do a lot of very good things. You want to win in this league, especially here at Brighton, and the team showed an incredible desire, determination and attitude to win the game.”
After consecutive derby wins, Arteta was particularly pleased with his players' focus.
“Yes, that's what I'm saying. And emotionally to handle the things that we are handling. A lot of players are with a lot of issues, not really training and going through that. So I really value what they do.”
On the away support, the manager added: “I loved the connection with our people. I mean, our supporters were phenomenal throughout the night. How loud they were, how passionate they are. The way they are living the moment with us. It's remarkable. They brought a lot of energy to the team today.”