Arsenal vs. Brighton

April 6, 2024

On the picturesque south coast of England, anticipation mounts as Brighton prepares to welcome title-chasing Arsenal for what promises to be a captivating Premier League clash on Saturday.

With the sea breeze whispering through the stands, the stage is set for a Saturday spectacle at the Amex Stadium. Both sides enter the encounter with aspirations of securing essential points in their respective campaigns, igniting the atmosphere with the enthusiasm of competition.

The Gunners won 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in December, with second-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

Brighton Betting Preview (+425 at Everygame)

Consistent in being inconsistent, Brighton was held to a goalless draw on their trip to Brentford midweek. The draw in West London ended Brighton's four-game losing streak away from home, but more might be needed if the Seagulls are to play European football again next season.

Considering the uncertainty over Roberto De Zerbi's future, who has been linked with several major European clubs, Brighton needs to convince us that they are a better team than they were twelve months ago.

The Seagulls are in ninth place on 43 points, having scored 51 goals and conceded 46 in return. With eight games left, Roberto De Zerbi's side trails fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by 14 points for a spot in the Europa League (as things stand right now).

However, Brighton are only five points behind Manchester United in sixth place and could boost their European hopes with a good result against Arsenal on Saturday.

Veteran James Milner, Jack Hinshelwood, Billy Gilmour, Solly March, and Kaoru Mitoma are all ruled out, while striker Evan Ferguson remains a doubt.

Danny Welbeck, whose early strike opened the scoring at Anfield last weekend, could lead the line for Brighton against Arsenal.

With Welbeck only introduced in the second half and Pervis Estupinan remaining an unused substitute against Brentford on Wednesday evening, it's safe to assume that De Zerbi could be tempted to start both against Arsenal.

Furthermore, Tariq Lamptey, Julio Enciso, and Jakub Moder are all in contention to play. Moder and Lamptey were both dealing with long-term injuries, and the pair started against Liverpool last time out.

Arsenal Betting Preview (-167 at Everygame)

Mikel Arteta's side claimed a routine 2-0 home win over struggling Luton Town in midweek, and they conserved precious energy for the looming weekend journey to Brighton.

Arsenal travel to the South Coast before they take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals next week.

The Gunners currently sit two points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, but they would go top of the table if they beat Brighton at the Amex.

After the grueling, goalless draw against Manchester City last weekend, Mikel Arteta made some rotations against Luton Town on Wednesday. Still, the Arsenal boss will need his most robust possible lineup for Brighton.

Bukayo Saka remains a significant doubt for Arsenal's clash with Brighton on Saturday. The 22-year-old England international was left out of the team for Wednesday's game against The Hatters after he was forced off with a muscle injury during the goalless draw at Manchester City last Sunday.

The Arsenal boss revealed that Saka would undergo a late fitness test in the team's final training session before the trip to Brighton. However, in the pictures of Arsenal's training session, which were released by the club later on Friday, Saka was not seen with his teammates.

This does not necessarily indicate that a player will miss the next match. However, Mikel Arteta will also be mindful of any potential fitness risk with his star man. Despite his injury concerns, Arteta is adamant that Saka will play a pivotal role in the final stage of Arsenal's campaign.

Elsewhere, Jurrien Timber is close to returning for Arsenal. The versatile Dutch defender was part of Friday's training session as he closed in on a return from a nasty ACL injury that had kept him sidelined since the opening-day win over Nottingham Forest.

Jakub Kiwior could be recalled at left back as Zinchenko started in midweek, while Declan Rice and Jorginho are also set to return in the middle of the park.

Possible Starting Lineups of Brighton and Arsenal

Brighton: Bart Verbruggen - Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan - Pascal Gross, Carlos Baleba - Julio Enciso, Joao Pedro, Simon Adingra - Danny Welbeck. (4-2-3-1)

Arsenal: David Raya - Jakub Kiwior, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Ben White - Declan Rice, Jorginho, Martin Odegaard - Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus. (4-3-3)

Spooky Express Betting Prediction

Having kept three consecutive clean sheets, including a defensive masterpiece at Manchester City last weekend, Arsenal are favorites to complete a league double over Brighton.

On the other hand, Brighton has been unbeaten in 12 Premier League home games (winning six of them) since the 3-1 loss to West Ham United in August. They will be looking to extend their sound form at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls had won three of their previous four meetings with Arsenal before the 2-0 loss at the Emirates earlier this season. However, they will need something more against an improved Arsenal side that looks like genuine title contenders throughout 2023-2024.

Even Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi believes Arsenal is the best team in the Premier League, as he stated during his press conference. We think that Arsenal might concede this time, but they will eventually end Brighton's unbeaten home run.

Spooky Express Free Play: Outcome And Both To Score - Arsenal and Yes +215 at Everygame for 4/10 Units

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