Brighton host Arsenal in a clash between the Premier League leaders and Fabian Hurzeler’s high-flying side, with the Gunners looking to maintain their perfect start to the season.
The defending champions have recorded seven wins from seven games in all competitions so far this season, extending that record with a 2-0 win at Sunderland last weekend that featured plenty of drama as Mikel Arteta raged over the Black Cats being awarded a penalty – which David Raya went on to save.
Brighton meanwhile are fresh from a 5-0 drubbing of Coventry City in the top flight, with the highlight a long-range Lewis Dunk wonder-goal, and a 3-2 comeback win over Manchester United in an entertaining Carabao Cup clash on Wednesday night – inflicting a first home defeat from 2-0 up on United in 50 years.
This fixture sparked a war of words last season as Hurzeler criticised Arsenal for time-wasting at set-pieces, but the pair said prior to this match that they had smoothed over their differences and Arteta looked forward to “a beautiful game”.
Follow latest updates from the Amex Stadium, below:
Arsenal out to equal 123-year record at Brighton
Should Arsenal win today, they would equal an 123-year club record for their best start to a campaign with eight consecutive victories.
Mikel Arteta’s side have won four Premier League matches so far, as well as games in the Carabao Cup, Champions League and Community Shield.
It comes after a World Cup, too, and follows a physically and emotionally draining campaign where the Gunners won the league and reached the Champions League final.
“We know how complicated it is to win a football match at this level,” Arteta said. “So, to win seven, it tells a story.
“After the World Cup, there were a lot of unknowns about how the players and the team were going to react. We didn’t have any time with them to work together.
“But I said from day one, the attitude and what I was seeing, I was really impressed with. Then you have to put it down to performances. We had a bit of luck as well, for sure, to win four matches. But we are here.”
Mikel Arteta insists Fabian Hurzeler feud is over after Brighton boss slammed Arsenal’s tactics
Mikel Arteta has insisted any tension with Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler is now behind him on the eve of their Premier League clash.
Hurzeler criticised Arteta after their previous meeting – a 1-0 win for Arsenal in March – stating “only one team tried to play football” and accused the Gunners of “making their own rules”.
Speaking ahead of their fixture at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, the Arsenal manager said: “That’s all done. That’s all in the past.
“I have huge respect for Fabian, and what he’s done and what Brighton has done as a club. It’s just remarkable, and tomorrow is going to be a beautiful game to watch, I’m sure.”
Arsenal team news and confirmed line-up
Arsenal are boosted by the return of Jurrien Timber, who makes his first start of the season in place of the injured Ben White. Bruno Guimaraes also starts alongside Declan Rice, in place of Myles Lewis-Skelly, in the second change from last weekend’s win at Sunderland. Max Dowman is on the bench after his two-goal display against Ipswich, as is Piero Hincapie.
Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Tzolis
Subs: Kepa, Hincapie, Eze, Gyokeres, Madueke, Merino, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman
Brighton team news and confirmed line-up
Pascal Struijk starts ahead of Lewis Dunk in the Brighton defence while midfielder Chema Andres makes his first Premier League start. Malick Yalcouye drops to the bench from last week’s big 5-0 win over Coventry, with Diego Gomez moving to the right and Pascal Gross perhaps pushing into No 10.
Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Struijk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Chema, Ayari; Gomez, Gross, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
Subs: Steele, Hadjam, Rutter, Promise, Osman, Costinha, Svoboda, O’Riley, Yalcouye
Brighton v Arsenal: Meeting of two in-form sides
Brighton have started the season on fire and have scored more goals than any other side in the Premier League this season. But today they face an Arsenal side who have won nine consecutive matches in the Premier League, including five from the end of last season, and have only conceded one goal in the league this season.
Brighton will also be buzzing after knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup from two goals down on Wednesday.
Team news is coming up next.
What is the Arsenal team news?
Uncertainty remains over Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie. Thomas Tuchel hinted that White would have been in his England squad had it not been for injury, which means Mikel Arteta might need to get creative at right back if Timber and Mosquera are unavailable. Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis should return to the line-up after Arteta rotated in midweek.
Possible line-up: Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimaraes, Rice; Saka, Odegaard, Tzolis; Havertz
What is the Brighton team news?
Fresh from their brilliant Carabao Cup comeback against Manchester United in midweek, Brighton are expected to rotate back to their Premier League line-up this afternoon. That means Bart Verbruggen, Ferdi Kadioglu, Lewis Dunk, Yasin Ayari, Diego Gomez and Maxim De Cuyper should return form the start. Georginio Rutter is back from injury but teenage Charalampos Kostoulas could keep his place up front.
Possible line-up: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
Good afternoon and welcome
Good afternoon. What a clash we have to look forward to on the south coast, quite an unexpected one too! If the Premier League had known that Brighton were going to start the season in such good form, then I’m not sure this game against the champions would have ended up scheduled for 3pm on a Saturday.
