Arsenal and Brighton are set to face off in an exhilarating Premier League encounter this weekend, with both teams entering the fixture with contrasting results from their previous matches.
Arsenal’s impressive 2-0 victory over Newcastle has injected a renewed sense of confidence into the squad, while Brighton will be seeking redemption after their disappointing 5-1 defeat to relegation battling Everton. Everton.
Against Newcastle, Arsenal gave one of their most mature performances of the season, creating numerous chances and playing their own game against a very physical Newcastle side, but also relied on Aaron Ramsdale to save them at times.
Despite that, the result was a deserved one, and Arsenal will take the confidence from the win into tomorrow’s home tie with Brighton, whose hopes of top four look all but over, as a result of the 5-1 battering at home.
Brighton have lit up the league this season, with De Zerbi’s side playing some of the most fascinating, free flowing football thanks to the likes of Mitoma, MacAllister, Ferguson, March and Caicedo, hower they have also flickered between clinical and wasteful throughout, and March went off with a suspected hamstring injury on Sunday so could miss this one.
Against Everton, they were victims to an extremely clinical performance from a side that has struggled for goals, however much of their downfall was self imposed by not tracking runs and switching off at the back.
With the number of games Brighton have played this season, a poor performance was always going to come, however no one saw it coming in the style it did, which could make them more fired up for Sunday.
After the game, De Zerbi said we’d see the real Brighton on Sunday, and there is no doubt that they won’t be as bad as they were. Afterall, they still have European football to secure in one form or another, and will fight to the end.
But, Arsenal made light work of them at the Amex on New Year’s Eve, and exposed all of their weaknesses on the left hand side during our 4-2 win, with Martinelli roasting Lamptey throughout the entire game, before finally getting his deserved goal in the 71st minute couresty of a sublime pass from Martin Odegaard.
With Martin Odegaard in the form of his life, and Martinelli and Jesus looking rejuvenated, Arsenal have three players who can really hurt Brighton, and will be hoping that Saka can once again find his best form after a mixed few weeks.
With that in mind, this is going to be a tough game for Brighton, whose defence will experience doubt for the first time this season as a result of their massive defeat, and if Arsenal score early, it will only get worse.
That doubt and uncertainty could be caused by being in a position that is new to them, as they have never played with such pressure or media attention, and just like Arsenal did, they could be having a wobble at a crucial time.
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