Arsenal vs Brighton: Gunners look to regain top spot but Seagulls have dominant Emirates record - ki
Arsenal will be out to return to the top of the Premier League table when they host bogey team Brighton this afternoon.
The Gunners were leapfrogged by Liverpool at the summit last weekend following a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.
A much-changed side were then held to a 1-1 draw by PSV Eindhoven in midweek and Arsenal will be desperate to return to winning ways.
Brighton are feeling the toll of playing in Europe themselves on their squad, having slipped to eighth after just one win in their last three top-flight games.
Arsenal vs Brighton: Seagulls fly over north London
Arsenal are under pressure to register a response back on home turf - but unfortunately for them, Brighton seem to have their number.
Mikel Arteta's side have lost their last three games at the Emirates against the Seagulls in all competitions.
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Brighton's 57 percent win record at the Emirates is also the highest of any visiting English side since its 2006 opening.
Roberto De Zerbi's man ran out 3-0 winners when these two sides met in north London in May in a game that effectively ended Arsenal's Premier League title challenge.
The one consolation from that game is that Arsenal have since gone unbeaten in 12 home games in all competitions, winning ten and scoring at least twice in 11 of those matches.
- Arsenal have lost their last three home games against Brighton in all competitions – only against Man City (7 between 2018 and 2023) have they lost more consecutively at the Emirates Stadium.
- Brighton have won four of their seven away games against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium – it’s the highest win rate (57%) of any visiting English side at the ground since it opened in 2006.
- The home side has won just two of the last 10 Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Brighton (D3 L5), with the Seagulls winning 2-1 at Amex Stadium in June 2020, and Arsenal winning 2-0 at the Emirates in May 2021.
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Arsenal vs Brighton: Teams
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus.
Subs: Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Cecric, Trossard, Nelson, Lewis-Skelly, Walters.
Brighton: Verbruggen, Milner, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman, Gilmour, Gross, Lallana, Mitoma, Adingra, Ferguson.
Subs: Steele, Julio, Dahoud, Pedro, Moder, Welbeck, Baleba, Buonanotte, Hinshelwood.
- Brighton have scored in their last 32 Premier League games and conceded in each of their last 20. It’s their longest ever scoring streak in their league history, while it’s their joint longest run without a clean sheet (also 20 games between September 1947 and March 1948).
- Brighton have conceded first in each of their last four Premier League games, their longest such run since a run of six in February/March 2022. However, they’ve gone on to lose just one of these last four matches (W2 D1).
- Arsenal have only fallen behind at any stage in six Premier League games this season, fewer than any other side. They’ve avoided defeat in four of those matches (W2 D2), while they’ve not lost any game in which they’ve led this season (W11 D2).
Arsenal vs Brighton: What has been said?
Arsenal fans have been told not to get their hopes up about Kai Havertz despite the German's recent turnaround in form.
Rory Jennings didn’t mince his words when asked by talkSPORT host Host Ade Oladipo about the forward’s current form.
He said: “Kai Havertz isn’t the man Arsenal need him to be. He isn’t good enough to play in the Premier League and he’s certainly not good enough to play at Arsenal. He’s not better than any of the players who were at Arsenal before he arrived.
“He’s done alright recently, he’s scored a couple of goals from a couple of yards, he’s done OK, but we’ve seen all this before and nothing has changed.
Jennings added: “He hasn’t turned a corner, he hasn’t. It’s all smoke and mirrors with Kai Havertz. It's all an illusion."
- Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has been involved in 13 goals in his last 11 appearances at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions, scoring eight and assisting five. The only game in which he hasn’t registered a goal involvement in this run was in a 5-0 win over Sheffield United in October.
- Martin Odegaard turns 25 on the day of this game; the last Arsenal player to score on their birthday in a Premier League match was Mesut Ozil against Swansea in October 2016. Against no side has Odegaard been involved in more Premier League goals than he has against Brighton (4 – 2 goals, 2 assists).
- Brighton’s Pascal Groß has been involved in five goals in his last four Premier League appearances, scoring one and assisting four. His assist for Simon Adingra’s goal against Burnley last time out was his 40th overall in the competition, the second German to reach that many after Mesut Ozil (54).
Arsenal vs Brighton: How to follow
This Premier League game will take place on Sunday, December 17.
Kick-off at the Emirates Stadium is scheduled for 2pm.
Unfortunately, this fixture will not be televised on UK screens as it wasn't picked by Sky Sports for live coverage.
Read More on talkSPORT
However, highlights will be available on the Sky Sports website and app shortly after the end of the match and then later on Match of the Day 2.
Updates will also be live on talkSPORT throughout the afternoon as part of our Sunday Session Live coverage with Sam Matterface.
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