Brighton’s search for a first win since November continues with the visit of Arsenal on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls ended 2024 with another draw – the club’s third in a row – after Tariq Lamptey secured a share of the tie with an 81st-minute equalizer against Aston Villa on Monday. Fabian Hurzeler remained optimistic throughout the seven-game wait for victory and urged fans this week to “always trust the process”.
Arsenal’s first two seasons under Mikel Arteta were marked by this very phrase – which, ironically, Mesut Özil was responsible for before the process led to his own exile. Five years into Arteta’s reign, the Gunners have been rewarded for their patience and are locked in the title race for a third successive season.
With a 12-game unbeaten run, Arsenal still remain within touching distance of leaders Liverpool, who only play on Sunday. This delay gives the north London team the chance to reduce the gap to first place – albeit briefly – to just three points.
Brighton vs Arsenal H2H results (last five games)
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 – 12/27/24 | Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 12/27/24 |
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 12/21/24 | Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal – 12/21/24 |
Brighton 1-3 Crystal Palace – 12/15/24 | Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace – 12/18/24 |
Leicester 2-2 Brighton – 08/12/24 | Arsenal 0-0 Everton – 12/14/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
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 have almost their entire starting eleven injured. Saturday’s game is “too early” for the club’s brand new signing from Inter Miami, Diego Gomez, who will be watching from the sidelines along with full-back Ferdi Kadioglu and experienced midfielder James Milner.
According to Hurzeler, Jack Hinshelwood is close to returning from his knee injury and central defender Adam Webster is available again. However, there are doubts about Pervis Estupinan recovering from illness.
Former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will be assessed “day by day”, while fellow striker Evan Ferguson (ankle) and midfielder Mats Wieffer (hamstring) are unlikely to feature.
Predicted Brighton vs Arsenal line-up (4-2-3-1): Conceal; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Dunk, Igor; Baleba, O’Riley; Minteh, Rutter, Adingra; Pedro
Arsenal have been hit by a team-wide ‘virus’ ahead of their New Year’s trip to Brentford. Kai Havertz had to sit out the 3-1 win and was sent into quarantine to avoid further infection. Arteta announced on Friday: “I think those who are sick will be OK.”
Whether that means Havertz will be pushed straight back into the starting eleven is a completely different question. Given Gabriel Jesus’ strong form, there seems to be little reason to rush the German.
Arsenal will not welcome back any of their injured full-backs 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 nearing full fitness but Bukayo Saka is still at the very beginning of his long-term recovery. It remains to be seen whether Arteta can resist the urge to start 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri for the second time in four days.
Predicted Arsenal line-up 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 lockdown, in a game that fans of the Butterfly Effect claim won Argentina the World Cup as a barely visible Emiliano Martinez took center stage.
The Seagulls have not taken three points against anyone in front of their own fans since beating Manchester City before the international break in November. While Hurzeler insists that their performances in recent weeks have not been as bad as their points haul, the initial successes of the first few months of the season have definitely stalled.
Arsenal are by no means the clear favorites to win this Saturday – especially as they continue to grapple with their existence without Bukayo Saka. However, the Gunners are in a good position to extend Brighton’s wait for a win.