Brighton will take on Premier League leaders Arseanl at the Emirates Stadium todayplaceholder image
Brighton will take on Premier League leaders Arseanl at the Emirates Stadium today | Getty Images
Arsenal vs Brighton at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday - 3pm
Arsenal could be knocked off top spot before they host Brighton at 3pm, with Manchester City playing at Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off - but can Mikel Arteta’s team then overcome an inconsistent Brighton team?
The Seagulls are 10th in the Premier League and capable of beating the best on their day. Fabian Hurzeler’s team have recorded big wins against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City so far this term but they are also on a poor recent run that has seen them gain just two points from their last four matches.
Last season Brighton earned a point at the Emirates as a Joao Pedro strike cancelled out Kai Havertz’s opener after Declan Rice was issued a red card.
Arteta still raging at Rice red
The red card still bothers Gunners boss Mikel Arteta today: “I remember it very well,” said Arteta, whose side sit two points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.
“I was very p***** off in the manner that we played with 10 men, so hopefully it is going to be very different next time.
“I think the rules are different now. We played a big price with that rule. And hopefully that stays away and we continue to play with 11 players.”
Brighton’s decent record at the Emirates
Asked whether Brighton should alter their approach, boss Hurzeler said:
“Why should we change is the question? We know what the issue is, we have to overcome the consistency thing and play for 90 minutes well.
“We have shown we are capable of doing big things, and the most important is to do the small margins right against Arsenal.
“Stay alive for the 90 minutes, but we can’t go there with the mindset of only to defend.
“We have to play with courage and bring our style of play to the pitch.
“We know that we can beat every team in the league and, although it will be a big challenge, we go there to win.”
Brighton’s record at Arsenal is certainly a cause of optimism, as the Seagulls have won three and drawn two of their previous seven league games at the Emirates Stadium.
Opta prediction
The data experts at Opta have crunched the numbers and are leaning heavily towards a home win. They give Arsenal a 69.1 per cent chance of a home win and Brighton have a 13.6 per cent chance a sealing an away triumph. 17.3 per cent for the draw.
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