Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Brighton

Arsenal take on Brighton and Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, hoping to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.

The Gunners’ six-game winning run in all competitions ended last weekend when they lost to Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta’s men followed up the defeat at Aston Villa with a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in their final Champions League group-stage game in midweek.

Having seen Liverpool leapfrog them at the summit of the league, Arteta will be seeking a positive response from his boys against Brighton, who are eighth in the table and head to north London after advancing to the last 32 of the Europa League.

Arsenal Team News

Gabriel Martinelli is fit and available to face Brighton after missing the Champions League game at PSV Eindhoven due to illness, Mikel Arteta confirmed in his press conference. However, Mohamed Elneny will not be involved after picking up a minor hamstring problem in midweek.

Arsenal are still without Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Brighton (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper

David Raya will start in goal after being rested in midweek, with Aaron Ramsdale featuring against PSV Eindhoven. The Spaniard must produce a top display to keep a clean sheet against a potent Brighton attack.

Defence

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes should continue their strong partnership at the heart of Arsenal’s defence on Sunday. They have to be on their toes throughout the game to keep Evan Ferguson quiet.

Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko are expected to feature at right-back and left-back, respectively. The duo must help the central defenders, stay defensively switched on and provide creative flair going forward.

Midfield

As for the midfield unit, Declan Rice will feature as the defensive midfielder. The England international will look to break up opposition attacks and provide a base for creative players like Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz to thrive in advanced positions. The trio will be aiming to take control of the game as quickly as possible and dictate terms against a well-drilled Brighton outfit.

Emile Smith Rowe returned from an injury layoff against PSV Eindhoven earlier this week, and he could get some minutes on Sunday. Jorginho, too, could feature in the second half if Arteta decides to shore up his midfield.

Attack

Gabriel Martinelli is fit to feature after recovering from illness, and the Brazilian should take up the left-wing spot. Bukayo Saka didn’t feature off the bench against PSV due to some discomfort but Arteta did not mention anything about his injury in the press conference, meaning the England international should be fit to start on the right flank.

Up top, Gabriel Jesus is expected to replace Eddie Nketiah, who scored in the 1-1 draw with PSV in the Netherlands. Nketiah could come off the bench in the second half when the Gunners require attacking flair and energy against Roberto de Zerbi’s side.