After a series of five consecutive victories in the Premier League, Arsenal suffered a setback in the last round, losing away to Newcastle (0-1). The Gunners’ misstep was promptly seized upon by Liverpool, who now lead the table with a one-point advantage over the Londoners. Additionally, Birmingham is just one point behind. Losing valuable points is certainly not an option right now, considering the tight competition for the title. During the week, Arsenal successfully concluded the group stage of the Champions League. They couldn’t secure a win away against PSV (1-1), but even before this match, Mikel Arteta’s team guaranteed themselves the top spot in the group. Today, the Gunners will play a home game. It’s worth noting that at the Emirates Stadium, they have not lost in the previous nine Premier League matches, winning seven of them. Due to injuries, defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber, as well as midfielders Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira, will be unavailable.
Brighton suffered only one defeat in the last five rounds but has struggled to break into the European competition zone. The Seagulls currently sit in eighth place, seven points behind the top five, before the 17th round matches. In their last game, the team couldn’t secure a victory at home against one of the underdogs, Burnley (1-1). In the final match of the group stage in the Europa League, Brighton defeated Marseille and finished in first place. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi highlighted this result as a significant achievement for the team. There is concern in the predictions as the upcoming match is an away game. In three out of the last five away matches, the Seagulls suffered defeats, including a crushing 1-6 loss to Aston Villa. Julio Ensiso, Solly March, Danny Welbeck, Ansu Fati, defenders Pervis Estupiтфn, and Tarik Lamptey will miss the match in London due to injuries.
