Brighton's quest for a first win since November continues with a visit from Arsenal on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls ended 2024 with another draw – the club's third – as Tariq Lamptey's 81st-minute equalizer secured a share of the spoils against Aston Villa on Monday. Fabian Hurzeler has remained upbeat throughout his seven-match winless run and told fans to “always trust the process” this week.
Arsenal's first two seasons Mikel Arteta were defined by that very phrase – which Mesut Ozil was ironically responsible for before that process led to his exile. Five years into Arteta's tenure, the Gunners have been rewarded for their patience and find themselves involved in the title race for the third consecutive season.
A 12-match unbeaten run has kept Arsenal within striking distance of runaway league leaders Liverpool, who are not in action until Sunday. That delay gives the north London outfit the opportunity to – however briefly – close it out gap to first place in just three points.
Brighton vs Arsenal H2H results (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Brighton |
Arsenal |
|---|---|
|
Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton – 30/12/24 |
Brentford 1-3 Arsenal – 1/1/25 |
|
Brighton 0-0 Brentford – 27/12/24 |
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 27/12/24 |
|
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 21/12/24 |
Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 21/12/24 |
|
Brighton 1-3 Crystal Palace – 15/12/24 |
Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 18/12/24 |
|
Leicester 2-2 Brighton – 08/12/24 |
Arsenal 0-0 Everton – 14/12/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live streaming |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, NOW TV, SKY GO Extra, SKY GO |
|
United States |
fuboTV, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC, Telemundo |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Brighton they almost have an entire starting 11 of injured players. Saturday's game is “too early” for the club's new Inter Miami recruit Diego Gomez, who will watch alongside full-back Ferdi Kadioglu and veteran midfielder James Milner.
Jack Hinshelwood is “closer” to a return from his knee injury according to Hurzeler and quarterback Adam Webster is available again. However, doubts arise over Pervis Estupinan who is recovering from an illness.
ex Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will be assessed “day-to-day” while fellow striker Evan Ferguson (ankle) and midfielder Mats Wieffer (thigh) are unlikely to feature.
Brighton predicted formation against Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Consume; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Dunk, Igor; Baleba, O'Riley; Minteh, Rutter, Adingra; Peter Peter.
Arsenal were surrounded by one “bug” in the whole team ahead of their New Year's trip to Brentford. Kai Havertz sat out the 3-1 win, sent to quarantine to avoid further contamination. Arteta revealed on Friday: “Those with illnesses, I think they will be fine.”
Whether that means Havertz will be thrust into the starting line-up immediately is another matter entirely. Given Gabriel Jesus' strong form, there seems little need to rush the German.
Arsenal will not welcome back either of their injured defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Fellow defender Jurrien Timber will also miss the trip to the south coast after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season. on Wednesday.
Raheem Sterling is closing in on full fitness, but Bukayo Saka is still very much at the start of his long-term recovery. Whether Arteta will be able to resist the urge to play 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri for the second time in four days remains to be seen.
Arsenal predicted formation against Brighton (4-3-3): Raya; Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard.
Brighton have not beaten Arsenal at the AMEX Stadium since the close, in a game fans of the butterfly effect claim won Argentina the World Cup as the barely recognizable Emiliano Martinez took center stage.
The Seagulls haven't picked up three points in front of their own fans against anyone since they were introduced victory over Manchester City before the November international break. While Hurzeler insists the performances haven't been as poor as their points tally in recent weeks, the early hype from the early months of the season has definitely died down.
Arsenal – especially when they keep coming up against them Bukayo Saka– less existence – are by no means favorites to triumph this Saturday. However, the Gunners are in a strong position to extend Brighton's wait for a win.