Brighton vs Arsenal: Can Arsenal beat Brighton to go top of the league

Facing the challenge of three games in seven days, Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi shuffled their packs in midweek with a combined total of nine changes, but we’ll be hoping our strength in depth and energy levels continue to drive us towards maintaining our incredible momentum to see if Arsenal beat Brighton to go top of the league.

However the Amex Stadium has been something of a fortress for the Seagulls this term. They have lost just once at home this season and that came back in August, with only the three title contenders boasting similar records.

An incredible start to the season saw De Zerbi’s team win five of their first six games, before a 6-1 defeat at Aston Villa started a mini-slump as they struggled to juggle domestic and European action for the first time in their history.

They recorded just three wins in 16 matches straddling the end of 2023 and the start of this year, including a 4-0 loss at Luton Town at the end of January. They bounced back with a 4-1 victory over bitter rivals Crystal Palace, and also thumped Sheffield United 5-0, but March saw their Europa League campaign end against Roma, as well as losses to Fulham and Liverpool before a 0-0 draw at Brentford in midweek.

While their form at home is impressive, it hasn’t been consistent as they have alternated between drawing (4) and winning (4) their last eight on home soil, and they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in their last Amex appointment. Clean sheets have been hard to come by – they had to wait until January for their first in the league, but have kept two in their last three matches.

Arteta on Brighton Manager

Arteta on Brighton: I’m very impressed. [De Zerbi] is a top manager with a top coaching staff. I think they’re an unbelievable football club, what they have done deserves incredible credit.

The way they run the football club, the decisions they have made and how they have established themselves in the league, and now fighting with the top clubs as well, I think they’ve done a magnificent job. I think Roberto has given a very clear style and attractive way of playing football, and they make life very difficult for the opponent.

Statement of Brighton Manager

De Zerbi: “Mikel Arteta is a great manager; I have big respect for his job and his style is clear. They always play with big intensity and with courage. I think they will be aggressive, and they have a clear style with and without the ball. I think it will be a good game to watch.

In terms of our target, we want to improve our place in the table. Last season is history, this season is completely different. I think we have the quality to reach the European position but there are a lot of teams from Fulham to Manchester United who could reach the position.

For sure we have the ambition and I am positive because I believe in my players, and I know their human qualities. They will be emotional games [against rivals for European football] and it’s nice to compete against Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester United… but we are focused on our target.

After winning 2-0 at Emirates Stadium in December, we are looking to complete the Premier League double over Brighton for the second time, previously doing so in 2020/21.

We have kept a clean sheet in each of our last four away Premier League matches – only once in our league history have we kept five in a row, doing so between February and April 1997.

Since the turn of the year, we haven’t trailed for a single minute in any of our five away league games, conceding the fewest goals (1), allowing the lowest G against (2.26) and facing the fewest shots on target (5) on the road of any side in 2024. Read For more News