Arsenal face a Brighton & Hove Albion side at Emirates Stadium that has been competing on all fronts for the first time in their history.
The Seagulls have an excellent record against Mikel Arteta’s team, especially when they visit North London. Brighton have won three of their last five games against the Gunners with all their victories coming away from home.
How Arsenal Can Defeat Brighton at Home
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Attack Brighton’s Defence with Intent
Brighton are known for their attacking exploits and ability to score at will with Arteta saying, “What they’re doing because it’s really impressive.” However, their defence has not been up to the same standard. They are conceding at a rate of 1.75 per game in the Premier League and their weak defending could lead to a lot of chances for opposition attackers.
One of the consistent issues the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have been finding in Premier League games this season has been the deepness of opponent’s defences. The lack of space in the attacking final third has disrupted their rhythm with Martinelli and Jesus sitting on lowly goal tallies of only two each.
But the Seagulls are a more expansive outfit and will be willing to push on and be proactive themselves. This will leave space in behind defenders which the Gunners’ attacking trio should thrive in. If they manage to get a goal early, which they have struggled to do this season with just two goals in the opening 15 minutes of games, then they will be able to control proceedings against this well-drilled De Zerbi operation.
Manage The Press and Control Possession
Last May when Brighton beat Arsenal, they controlled the game superbly and amassed 60% possession which left the Gunners not having much of a chance in the game. One of the main reasons was the inability of the press and Jason Steel’s prowess at finding the extra man on the ball. His ball-playing ability stifled the North Londoners and Brighton manoeuvred up the pitch perfectly.
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This time around Declan Rice will be expected to manage the duels in midfield whilst controlling the tempo of the game to Arteta’s liking. There is the option of bringing in Jorginho alongside Rice but the likeliest option in midfield will be Rice behind Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian will then be tasked with dropping deep in the build-up to maintain control.
If the Gunners play with the intensity needed and galvanise their home crowd, then they will be able to fend off a Brighton side that is more than capable of causing damage at Emirates Stadium.
