Arsenal Vs Brighton & Hove Albion: The Gunners Ready To Fight Brighton For The Top Of The Standings

Mikel Merino, a new signing from Real Sociedad, may make his debut at Arsenal (photo: x @arsenal)

JAKARTA - Arsenal will host Brighton & Hove Albion at the London Emirates Stadium, on Saturday 31 August, in the Premier League competition continued. This match is highly anticipated because both teams have a record of 100% victory in the first two matches of the 2024-25 season.

Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, managed to break their curse when they met Aston Villa last week with a 2-0 win. Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey became heroes for the Gunners, where Partey scored spectacular goals from 20 yards, assisted by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's mistakes.

However, the main focus came from goalkeeper David Raya who made an extraordinary save from punditulante Watkins, who was touted as one of the best saves in Premier League history.

With this victory, Arsenal are now one of four teams with perfect points in the league, joining Brighton, Liverpool, and Manchester City. If Arsenal win again, they will set a record of nine consecutive wins in the Premier League for the first time since the Invincibles era in the 2003-04 season.

On the other hand, Brighton, who is now being handled by young coach Fabian Hurzeler, also recorded an impressive performance. After winning 3-0 over Everton and beating Manchester United 2-1 in last week's game, Brighton showed they were not an easy opponent. However, Brighton had a bad record when they traveled to London last season, where they failed to win in seven games in the capital.

Even so, Brighton's sweet memories of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in May 2023, when they won 3-0, could be an additional motivation. However, Arsenal managed to avenge the defeat with a double win over Brighton in the following season, including a 3-0 win at Brighton's home.

Arsenal will most likely still play without Gabriel Jesus who suffered a groin injury, as well as Takehiro Tomiyasu (lutut) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring). Mikel Merino, a new signing from Real Sociedad, may make his debut as a substitute. Trossard is likely to replace Gabriel Martinelli whose performance is not yet optimal.

In Brighton's camp, Matt O'Riley had to be sidelined after suffering an ankle injury during his debut against Crawley Town at the EFL Cup. In addition, Solly March (lutut) is also confirmed to be absent, while the condition of Brajan Gruda and Mats Wieffer still needs to be monitored. Evan Ferguson, who returns from an ankle injury, is likely to still be on the bench, with Danny Welbeck being the mainstay on the front lines.

Arsenal are expected to appear in full strength despite some players missing, while Brighton hopes to take advantage of Arsenal's weaknesses in several positions. This match is predicted to be tight and interesting, with both teams struggling to maintain their winning record.

Estimated Lineup Of Players

Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1):ploy; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Milner, Gilmour; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck.