Aiming to do the double over Brighton & Hove Albion for just the second time in the Premier League, Arsenal welcome their Southern counterparts to the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
The second-placed Gunners kept the title race alive with a 2-0 win at Newcastle United last weekend, while Roberto De Zerbi’s European challengers were incredibly demolished 5-1 by Everton, and here MSNews Sports rounds up the team news for both clubs.
As the Premier League title chase nears the finish line, Arsenal continue their pursuit of Manchester City with a home match on Sunday at Emirates Stadium against Brighton & Hove Albion, who sit in mid-table ahead of their visit.
Arsenal are in second place on 81 points, a point behind Manchester City at the top of the table with three matches left. Fifth-placed Liverpool, the first club outside of the Champions League positions, are 19 points behind the Gunners. Arsenal won their last Premier League match 2-0 at St. James’ Park against Newcastle United.
Brighton & Hove Albion suffered a 5-1 defeat against Everton at The American Express Community Stadium in their last league match, leaving them in seventh place on 55 points. The Seagulls have scored 63 goals and conceded 45 through 33 matches, leaving them trailing fifth-placed Liverpool by seven points for a spot in the Europa League.
Arsenal won the last Premier League meeting between the sides, coming out on top 4-2 at The American Express Community Stadium in December. Bukayo Saka scored first for the Gunners in the second minute. Martin Ødegaard, Eddie Nketiah, and Gabriel Martinelli also were on the scoresheet. Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson were on the scoresheet for the Seagulls.
The trio of Ødegaard, Martinelli, and Saka have provided stand-out moments for Arsenal this season. Ødegaard and Martinelli are the team’s joint top scorers with 15 goals, followed by Saka with 13.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s leading lights in attack have been Alexis Mac Allister, Pascal Groß, and Mitoma, who have scored 10, eight, and seven times, respectively.
Hosts Arsenal have been tough to beat at home this season with 13 wins, three draws, and just one loss in 17 Premier League contests. The Gunners will be out to prolong a six-match home unbeaten streak (W5 D1 L0) dating to March 1 against Everton. In league matches away from home this season, Brighton have seven wins, four draws, and five losses.
In their last six league matches, Arsenal have won two, drawn three and lost one. Brighton, meanwhile, have won three and lost three in their last six.
As well as known absentees Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny, who are both out for the season with knee injuries, Arsenal have reportedly been dealt two hammers blows with the news that William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko will not play again this term either – Arteta has denied such claims though.
Many Gooners had resigned themselves to not seeing Saliba on the pitch again this season due to his slow recovery from a back injury, while Zinchenko sustained a calf problem at St James’ Park and will likely be covered by Kieran Tierney for the final few games of the month.
Having excelled in the engine room at Newcastle, Jorginho may have done enough to keep Thomas Partey out of the team again, but ex-Brighton man Leandro Trossard should accept a spot on the bench against his former employers.
As well as battered and bruised egos, salt was rubbed into Brighton’s wounds against Everton when Solly March – who was brought on at half time – came off with a thigh injury, and De Zerbi has confirmed that the winger will miss out here alongside Adam Webster.
March and Webster’s absences adds to the visitors’ perennial fitness concerns, which also include Jeremy Sarmiento (ankle), Tariq Lamptey (knee), Joel Veltman (thigh), Adam Lallana (thigh) and Jakub Moder (knee), and only Veltman may have the slimmest chance of lining up at the Emirates.
In the wake of such a horrific humbling, De Zerbi will ponder alterations in the shape of Levi Colwill, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson, the latter of whom could force ex-Arsenal man Danny Welbeck down to the dugouts.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Gross, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Caicedo, Gilmour; Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Without Saliba’s passing contributions from the back or Zinchenko’s line-breaking abilities, Arsenal’s build-up play will suffer greatly, and the Emirates has been a happy hunting ground for Brighton in recent memory.
A team refresh should do the shell-shocked Seagulls the world of good, but De Zerbi is dealing with his own untimely injury crisis, and a Brighton team who lack a consistent formula for success on the road should fall short at the Emirates as Arsenal keep the title fight going.
