Fabian Hurzeler was under a lot of pressure only a few weeks ago after overseeing just one win in their last 13 Premier League games. That solitary victory came against Burnley, and there were calls for the German to be sacked during that dreadful period. To add to his woes, he also saw his team eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool. However, ahead of the game against Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion have enjoyed improved fortunes.
Since that loss to Liverpool, Brighton have picked up steam, winning their two subsequent games in what may otherwise be described as tricky fixtures: Brentford away and Nottingham Forest at home. The latest result happened at the weekend in what was an entertaining first half, but the Seagulls managed to keep their lead intact in the second period.
Brighton currently sit in 11th place entering this matchday against Arsenal, and on paper, Hurzeler will still think this team has a chance of breaking into one of the European places. Consistency will be key for them to achieve that, and overcoming the Gunners would be a massive boost to their chances.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have continued to draw criticism for their style of play and reliance on set pieces to win games. In truth, Mikel Arteta will care little for those insisting on performances and ignoring results. For the Gunners, results are more important than attractive displays at this stage of the season, which the team showed on Sunday against Chelsea.
Goals from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, either side of a Piero Hincapie own goal, proved enough to take three points against Chelsea at the Emirates. The Gunners did look shaky, but at this stage, Arteta will want the points, and everything else will be irrelevant, as Arsenal maintained a five-point lead at the top, albeit having played a match more than Manchester City.
Having also landed on the favourable side of the Champions League draw, the Gunners must ensure they can churn out results consistently from here on. The trip to Brighton will be a tricky prospect for Arsenal, but Arteta will use his squad depth to try and get another win in the bag, a third on the bounce since their disappointing draw with Wolves.
Fabian Hurzeler may make some changes from the weekend, as Mats Wieffer could be rested after not being able to complete the full 90 minutes at the weekend. Joel Veltman could be the readymade replacement at right-back, while Carlos Baleba could return to midfield and replace James Milner in the starting eleven.
Long-term absentees Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas are the only other players missing, with the duo out for the remainder of the season. Beyond that, Brighton could name a familiar line-up aside from the necessary changes in those two positions, as Baleba could join Pascal Gross and Jack Hinshelwood in the middle.
Ferdi Kadioglu, Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke will complete the backline. Danny Welbeck, who has reportedly extended his stay at Brighton by triggering a one-year option in his contract, will lead the line for the Seagulls, with Kaoru Mitoma and Diego Gomez on either side of the front three.
Probable line-up (4-3-3): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Hinshelwood, Baleba, Gross; Gomez, Welbeck, Mitoma
Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea may have come at a high cost, as key midfielder Declan Rice reportedly asked to be substituted. Arteta later confirmed this and insisted the medical team will run checks on the midfielder to determine his participation against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Could his potential absence lead to Arteta experimenting with Myles Lewis-Skelly in a midfield role, or will he resort to the ‘safer’ choice of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard? Beyond that question, there might be a case for rotating a few positions across the pitch.
Arsenal are also waiting on fitness updates on Martin Odegaard and Ben White, with the former left out of the Chelsea game as a precaution. Should neither Rice nor Odegaard make it to Brighton, then Lewis-Skelly might get his chance in midfield.
Kai Havertz could push for a start, and he could take Eberechi Eze’s role behind central striker Viktor Gyokeres. With an FA Cup tie coming up at the weekend, Arteta is unlikely to rest Bukayo Saka for this one, while Leandro Trossard will also start on the left.
Probable line-up (4-2-3-1): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Norgaard; Saka, Havertz, Trossard; Gyokeres
An unlikely player to focus on, Norgaard might get a big chance to make his mark for Arsenal in the Premier League against Brighton & Hove Albion. The likely absence of Declan Rice could open the door for the former Brentford man to come into midfield and give Arsenal the security required against a competitive Seagulls midfield set-up.
This is a game that Mikel Arteta will want to see through one way or another, and he will also hope that the Rice issue is not prolonged. For now, the Arsenal boss will want Norgaard to deliver a strong performance and steady the ship in their talismanic midfielder’s potential absence when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion this week.
Brighton & Hove Albion are slowly building momentum and could potentially swing the tie in their favour as Arsenal come to the AMEX. However, the Seagulls have not beaten the Gunners on their turf for five games running now and might find themselves in a similar boat once again.
Arsenal are also carrying momentum following victories over their London rivals, Tottenham and Chelsea. Mikel Arteta will know they must win this game to keep themselves ahead in the title race, and the Gunners are expected to see out this Brighton side at the Amex Stadium. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Arteta and his charges.
