Confirmed Lineups: Arsenal Face Brighton at Amex Stadium
The team sheets are in at The American Express Community Stadium ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League round 5 trip to Brighton & Hove Albion. Kick-off on Saturday 19 September 2026 is set for 15:00 BST, and both managers have named their strongest available options for a game that carries plenty of early-season significance.
Mikel Arteta sticks with David Raya in goal and hands a start to Christos Tzolis on the left of attack, with Kai Havertz leading the line through the middle. Bukayo Saka keeps his place on the right, while Martin Ødegaard operates just behind the front line. There is no place in the starting XI for Eberechi Eze or Viktor Gyökeres, though both are named among the substitutes and could be introduced from the bench. Supporters checking broadcast details can find them in our tv channel and kick-off guide.
Brighton, for their part, go with Bart Verbruggen behind the goal and Pascal Groß pulling the strings in midfield, backed by a settled-looking defensive unit and Charalampos Kostoulas as the focal point up front.
Official Arsenal XI and Substitutes Breakdown
Arsenal’s confirmed starting XI reads as follows:
David Raya (GK)
Jurriën Timber
Ezri Konsa
Gabriel
Riccardo Calafiori
Declan Rice
Bruno Guimarães
Bukayo Saka
Martin Ødegaard
Christos Tzolis
Kai Havertz
Arsenal substitutes: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Piero Hincapié, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman. Readers wanting a wider view of Arteta’s options can browse the full Arsenal squad.
The shape in possession looks like a variation on Arteta’s familiar back four with a double pivot. Rice and Guimarães sit as the base of midfield, with Rice screening the defence while Guimarães is given license to drive forward and support Ødegaard between the lines. That partnership will be central to how Arsenal control tempo away from home, since Brighton typically try to draw opponents into a high-tempo, transitional game.
Out of possession, expect Havertz to lead the press from the front, cutting passing lanes back into Brighton’s double pivot rather than chasing the centre-backs directly. Saka and Tzolis are asked to tuck infield when the ball is on the far side, compressing central areas and forcing Brighton’s full-backs into wider, less dangerous zones.
Calafiori’s license to overlap on the left should give Arsenal a natural outlet once the press is beaten, with Tzolis drifting inside to combine with Ødegaard and Havertz. Konsa and Gabriel will need to defend with real discipline against Brighton’s rotations through the middle, particularly with Groß dropping deep to receive.
With Eze and Gyökeres held in reserve, Arteta retains the option to freshen the front line and change the point of attack if the initial approach is nullified.
Official Brighton XI and Substitutes Breakdown
Brighton & Hove Albion’s confirmed starting XI is:
Bart Verbruggen (GK)
Ferdi Kadıoğlu
Luka Vuskovic
Pascal Struijk
Olivier Boscagli
Chema Andrés
Yasin Ayari
Diego Gómez
Pascal Groß
Maxim De Cuyper
Charalampos Kostoulas
Brighton substitutes: Jason Steele, Jaouen Hadjam, Michael Svoboda, Costinha, Malick Yalcouyé, Matt O’Riley, Georginio Rutter, Ibrahim Osman, Promise David.
Fabian Hürzeler’s side, as ever, will look to build through Ayari and Gómez screening in front of the back four, with Groß dropping into pockets to link play and dictate rhythm. That midfield trio gives Brighton control in the middle third and the passing range to switch quickly from one flank to the other, stretching Arsenal’s defensive block before Kostoulas looks to attack space in behind.
De Cuyper’s forward runs from left-back will be a key outlet, particularly if Saka is pulled infield to help Arsenal’s press, leaving space in behind for Brighton to exploit down that side. Kadıoğlu offers a similar threat on the opposite flank, giving the home side width in both directions rather than relying on a single outlet.
Brighton’s pressing plan traditionally centres on aggressive front-foot triggers the moment Arsenal’s centre-backs receive under pressure, aiming to force mistakes high up the pitch rather than sit back and invite possession. Against Rice and Guimarães, that will mean Groß and one of Ayari or Gómez stepping out to close passing lanes quickly, betting on Arsenal’s double pivot to be caught in possession. How well Konsa and Gabriel handle that early pressure, and how quickly Arsenal can play through it, may well shape the pattern of the afternoon. Those weighing up how Arteta’s side tend to fare in this kind of away fixture can read more in our piece on arteta’s away form standards.
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