Brighton vs Arsenal LIVE: Stream, score, TV channel, kick-off time and team news as Ramsdale & Aubameyang START

RAIN RAIN GO AWAY

Spot of rain? No problem, get the poncho’s out to keep you dry and enjoy the football.

MIK ON THE MIC 

The Arsenal boss’ decisions have been under severe scrutiny in the opening weeks of the season and many supporters have called for his contract to be terminated this early on in the season after the disastrous start.

But three games later, there is a positive feeling around the club again and Mikel Arteta was asked in his pre-match press conference whether he believes the club being in a crisis is coming to an end.

I think that feeling is very necessary at a big club because every defeat is a crisis and it should be a crisis, and you have to deal with that pressure.

If you want to be the best you have to cope with that and realise that excellence is the only way and the only thing that is expected. Anything else isn’t good enough.

Mikel Artetaarsenal.com

WORK OF ART

Mikel Arteta has to be the most spoken about manager in the Premier League because he divides so much opinion.

When the Spaniard was appointed as the head coach of Arsenal football club in 2019, a majority of the fan base were unhappy with this decision.

His inexperience at the top level left Gooners confused as to why he was chosen for the job but when the 39-year-old delivered the FA Cup against all odds in his first season, fans began to get behind ‘the project’ he was trying to produce.

However, it all started to go pear shape in the following season when Arteta could only guide Arsenal to a second consecutive 8th Premier League finish which meant that the North London outfit did not qualify for any European competitions for the first time in 25 years.

And it didn’t get any better for the former midfield maestro because Arsenal endeavored their worst start to a campaign since 1954/55 having lost their three opening games without scoring a goal and conceding nine in that time.

However, fortunes seem to be changing because Arsenal have won their last four games in a row across all competitions only conceding one goal in the process.

The Premier League’s current youngest manager will not want to get carried away as he will know that these victories are stepping stones but should his team slay Brighton this evening, then things will really start to look promising for Arsenal.

AR-MED AND DANGEROUS

Mikel Arteta has arrived in Brighton town and is hoping to head back to London with all three points.

ARSENAL BENCH

1 Leno, 17 Cedric, 16 Holding, 20 Tavares, 25 Elneny, 15 Maitland-Niles, 19 Pepe, 35 Martinelli, 9 Lacazette

ARSENAL XI

As expected, Mikel Arteta starts the game with the exact same line-up who took Spurs apart bar the one change in midfield due to a long-term injury.

Aaron Ramsdale keeps his spot in goal with the Gabriel and former Seagulls defender Ben White just in front to protect the English goalkeeper.

Albert Sambi Lokonga steps in for absentee Granit Xhaka who is expected to be out for up to three months

Which leaves the front quartet as Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith-Rowe and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang who all keep their spot.

(4-2-3-1): 32 Ramsdale; 18 Tomiyasu, 4 White, 6 Gabriel, 3 Tierney; 5 Thomas, 23 Sambi Lokonga; 7 Saka, 8 Odegaard, 10 Smith-Rowe; 14 Aubameyang

BRIGHTON BENCH

23 Steele, 2 Lamptey, 7 Connolly, 10 Mac Allister, 20 March, 27 Locadia, 28 Roberts, 30 Richards, 60 Sarmiento

BRIGHTON XI

Unfortunately for the Brighton supporters and Graham Potter, Yves Bissouma and Danny Welbeck were unable to pass their late fitness tests ahead of this evening’s big clash so they both miss out.

The Brighton boss has stuck with the trusted Robert Sanchez in goal with a back three of Shane Duffy, Daniel Burn and skipper Lewis Dunk.

No return for Yves Bissouma in the center of the park which means another Adam Lallana and Pascal Gross partnership with Marc Cucucrella and Joel Veltman either side of them.

Jakub Moder replaces Danny Welbeck and Leandro Trossard will be filling in the other pockets of space.

And of course, the thorn in Arsenal’s back-side Neal Maupay plays as the loan striker.

(3-4-2-1): 1 Sanchez; 24 Duffy, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn; 34 Veltman, 13 Gross, 14 Lallana, 3 Cucurella; 11 Trossard, 15 Moder; 9 Maupay

HOLD YOUR HORSES PEOPLE!

THE FIRST ELEVENS ARE IN!

COMPARISON

Below is what both Brighton and the Gunners Premier League form guide looks like in a graph format.

ARSENAL RECENT RUN

The Gunners are beginning to string some wins together since the return from the international break.

Three loses, no goals scored and a goal difference of -9 has suddenly turned into three Premier League wins in a row which includes a comfortable 3-1 thrashing over their rivals from down the road, Spurs.

At the end of August, Arsenal were rock bottom in the table but a victory this evening could see them end September within touching distance of a European spot.

Football ay.

ARSENAL TREATMENT ROOM

For the first time in a long time, the Gunners were eight minutes away from going into two consecutive fixtures with a full-strengthened squad.

Yes you read that correct, Arsenal had no casualties whatsoever before the North London derby.

However during the game against Spurs last weekend, Lucas Moura’s entire body weight landed on Swiss international Granit Xhaka’s knee following a challenge from Thomas Partey which then forced the Arsenal midfielder to leave the field early.

It was first reported that Xhaka would only miss 6-8 weeks but after a further scan and assessment on the ligament, the medical team have confirmed that the 29-year-old will be ruled out for up to three months.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta addressed this situation in his press conference where he said:

“Obviously, it’s really bad news personally for Granit. He’s had a couple of incidents already this season with Covid, with suspension and now with long-term injury.

He’s a strong man and he will use this time to focus on other things and I’m sure he will be back in the right place when he’s back.”

As mentioned earlier, everyone else in the team is fit and raring to go but will the Switzerland captain be a big miss to Mikel Arteta’s game plan?

BRIGHTON CURRENT FORM

For Graham Potter’s sake, let’s hope that the amount of injuries don’t have a negative impact on Brighton’s upcoming fixture list because leading up to his game, the Seagulls have been on fire.

Adding the Carabao Cup second and third round tie’s to the list, Brighton have won six out of their last eight matches which includes a huge 2-1 over 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City.

A narrow 1-0 victory over newly promoted Brentford who comfortably beat Arsenal on the opening day of the season and they held 6x Champions League winners Liverpool to a 3-3 draw last weekend.

BRIGHTON INJURY CRISIS

Earlier on in the week, it was feared that the Seagulls could be going into today’s clash against Arsenal with as many as six first team members unavailable.

But thankfully for the Brighton entourage, Graham Potter confirmed that this is not the case in his pre-match press conference.

However it’s not all good news because the Brighton boss stated that there could still be at least three key players who are not able to make it for this afternoon.

The Englishman said: “Bissouma, making progress, that will be a decision later on in the week.

“Danny (Welbeck) at the moment is seeing a specialist so again we need to wait for that.

“Alzate, no.”

There were further questions on highly rated midfielder Yves Bissouma after critics suggested that the Mali international should have been taken off earlier in the 2-1 victory over Leicester two weekends ago.

Potter responded by saying: “Well no it’s not that. I don’t think it necessarily made it any worse as far as I know and the medical guys have said the same.

“As soon as he was injured there was always going to be a bit of soreness afterwards. Sometimes it’s really hard to assess at the time; I’ll leave those decisions with the player and the medical team.”

BEN WHITE STATS SO FAR

Former Seagulls defender Ben White currently holds Brighton’s player of the season award.

But if the 23-year-old wants to replicate that at Arsenal, he needs to ensure the defensive unit continues their solidarity which they have put in over the last three games.

Below are White’s stats for Arsenal in the early stages of the 2021/22 campaign.

BEN IS BACK

Arsenal’s mega signing Ben White is set to make a return to the Amex Stadium for the first time since his £50 million switch in the summer.

The Englishman was a key fixture in Graham Potter’s starting eleven because he featured 36 times out of the 38 Premier League games played and for a valid reason too.

White’s confidence and composure on the ball alongside his versatility in the defence, helped him to secure Brighton’s player of the year award last season despite some fans in disagreement.

To cap that all off, the 23-year-old would go on to land an unexpected call-up to the England senior squad for the EURO 2020; A decision which left White “speechless” once he was presented with the news.

Unfortunately, White wasn’t able to get any game time during England’s run to the final but that didn’t deter the young starlet’s move to Arsenal.

Life at his new club is beginning to vastly improve after what was a horrendous start whereas his former club aren’t showing any signs of missing him.

Will White come back to haunt the Amex Stadium or will his old teammates get the better of him?

LEAGUE TABLE

If certain results go their way, the Seagulls will be able to enjoy the international break in high spirits.

Brighton’s current points tally is 13 points (W4 D1 L1) which means that they find themselves in a temporary European spot and with both Manchester United and Everton already dropping points in the early kick-off, a win today can push them up into the top two.

I know, crazy right?

On the other hand the Gunners have found themselves struggling in the bottom half of the table at the beginning stages of the 2021/22 campaign.

However, they are finally flirting with the top half of the table and not only would a victory today make that a fourth consecutive Premier League win but it could help them go level with West Ham in 7^th spot.

SALT N PEPE

Here is part two of Nicolas Pepe’s brace from the last time Brighton took an Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Ivorian rubbed salt into the wounds with this coolly dispatched finish.

REMINDER

Brighton should be encouraged by today’s encounter being at the Amex Stadium because the last time the Seagulls took on Arsenal at the Emirates, it wasn’t a happy hunting ground.

A brilliant second half brace from Nicolas Pepe helped the Gunners to secure all three points in North London on the final day of last season.

Arsenal were firmly on top from the first whistle and had it not been for narrowly missed effort and the strong right hand of Seagulls goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez, Thomas Partey would have had himself a brace in the early stages of the first 45.

Rob Holding then believed he flicked the ball in the back of the net shortly after following Martin Odegaard’s corner but the referee never received a notification on his watch which meant that the ball didn’t cross the line.

And Arsenal’s rock at the back Gabriel thought his floated header was going to crash in the goal just before half-time but the cross-bar denied him of a third goal in his debut season.

However, that never threw Arteta’s men off because five minutes after the interval, a right-footed low drive from Pepe put Arsenal ahead.

His second then came a little over ten minutes later when the £72 million man cut inside from the right hand side and perfectly placed his shot past Sanchez.

Yves Bissouma did come close to pulling one back for the visitors, but his shot whistled past Bernd Leno’s post.

Which meant that for a third successive season, Brighton lost their final fixture of the campaign.

ONE BIG COMMUNITY

In 1997, Brighton said a fitting goodbye to former stadium Goldstone where they finally defeated Doncaster Rovers 1-0 after six consecutive defeats against the South Yorkshire club.

Two years later the club would return as tenants of the Withdean Stadium which would eventually receive a capacity upgrade once Brighton were promoted the Division One (current name – EFL Championship)

Fast forward to 31 May 2011, Brighton football club were officially handed over the keys to a finished project which originally went by the name of the Falmer Stadium.

And now in 2021, for sponsorship reasoning, it is commonly known as the American Express Community Stadium (AMEX), the home of a now fully established Premier League team.

Even in the rain, she’s a beauty.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Brighton and Hove Albion’s special touch on how they will be celebrating black history month.

I love this from them.

GOOD AFTERNOON

Greeting readers of SunSport. I hope you are all well and you have had a good Saturday so far.

I want everyone to close their eyes and picture themselves being in Brighton on a sunny Saturday, ice-ring doughnut in one hand and a beverage of your choice in the other.

Sounds good doesn’t it?

Well there are two things for certain.

One, you are not there and two, it’s not a sunny day in Brighton by any means, in fact it’s the complete the opposite.

But fortunately that will not stop our live coverage this afternoon which will be the Gunners taking on Brighton in the South Cosst at the Amex Stadium.

Seagulls, I take my hats off to you guys, what a start you have had.

With four wins in their first six games, they find themselves in the European spots and dare I say it, only two points off current league leaders Cheslea.

And if Graham Potter’s men had beaten Crystal Palace last Monday, they could have jumped to the top of the charts but a 95th minute equaliser from Neal Maupay, enabled them to scrape a 1-1 draw instead.

As for Arsenal, the North London outfit have really started to turn their fortunes around after losing their opening three Premier League fixtures.

According to the gaffer, the victories against Norwich and Burnley were building blocks but the convincing 3-1 triumph over their bitter North London rivals Spurs is now lift off.

Fancy seeing if the Gunners can back their mangers words this afternoon?

Well stick around because coming up are some quotes, statistics and team news, all before the main event at 17:30pm UK time.