ARSENAL return to Premier League action with a blockbuster match against Brighton – and three points are vital.
The Gunners should be well-rested as Mikel Arteta opted to leave several of his key players out for their dead-rubber Champions League draw with PSV.
And the north London outfit will be determined to get back to winning ways in the league after their controversial Aston Villa loss.
However, Brighton have a huge incentive of their own as a win would see them keep the pressure on the more high-profile European spots.
Furthermore, the Gunners have lost their last THREE games to the Seagulls at home.
Recent form
Arsenal are without a win in two matches and are aiming to bounce back from just their second Premier League defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
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After their previous loss away at Newcastle Mikel Arteta’s side went on a six-match winning streak, so they will be aiming to do the same again starting with Brighton.
Meanwhile the Seagulls have suffered from inconsistency lately.
They have drawn four of their last seven Prem games but lost only once, to Chelsea, and they should be flying high after beating Marseille on Thursday to win their Europa League group.
What is the team news?
Mohamed Elneny is the latest Arsenal player to add to the injury list after suffering a hamstring strain against PSV.
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And the Egyptian will sit on the sidelines along with Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Fabio Vieria (groin), Thomas Partey (muscle) and Jurrien Timber (knee).
Gabriel Martinelli could also miss out after failing to make the midweek trip to Holland with an illness.
Elsewhere, Roberto De Zerbi will be also be forced to continue without some key men.
Ansu Fati (muscle), Adam Webster (knock), Danny Welbeck (muscle), Pervis Estupinan (muscle), Solly March (knee), Julio Enciso (knee) and Tariq Lamptey (muscle).
Ones to watch
Gabriel Jesus has been in good form since returning from injury and his ability to find space and time in the box could be key to undoing Brighton.
The Seagulls have tightened up their defence in recent weeks but have still found clean sheets hard to come by, despite the 1-0 win over Marseille.
Martin Odegaard could play a key role and it will be interesting to see Leandro Trossard come up against his old team if Martinelli is unavailable.
For Brighton Karou Mitoma could cause Ben White problems while William Saliba will have to keep a close eye on Joao Pedro.
The striker has scored five goals in his last six games and has made 14 goal contributions in 24 games, including 11 goals.
SunSport prediction
Brighton had Arsenal’s number the last time these two sides met at the Emirates with a 3-0 win in May.
We expect it to be another tricky clash for the Gunners, 1-1.
When is Arsenal vs Brighton?
- Arsenal’s huge Premier League fixture against Brighton will take place on Sunday, December 17.
- It is scheduled to get underway at 2pm GMT.
- Emirates is the chosen venue for this match and it can host approximately 60,704 fans.
- The Seagulls ran riot in north London when the sides last met in May.
How can I watch it?
- Unfortunately, Arsenal vs Brighton will NOT be shown on live TV in the UK.
- This is due to it not being selected as a game that TV channels would cover.
- However, fans can tune into SunSport’s live blog for minute-by-minute coverage of the entire match.
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What are the latest odds?
- Arsenal win 4/9
- Draw 7/2
- Brighton win 11/2
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power are correct at time of publication
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
