Brighton and Hove Albion will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when they travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal.
The Seagulls beat Marseille 1-0 at the Amex Stadium to qualify for the Europa League last 32 as Group B winners. Roberto de Zerbi will be proud of his team’s performances throughout the Seagulls’ debut European campaign.
The south coast side must now turn their focus to the Premier League and prepare themselves for an uphill challenge against Arsenal, who are third in the table and coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Brighton Team News
Brighton will be without a whole host of injured players for their visit to the Emirates Stadium. Julio Enciso, Pervis Estupinan, Tariq Lamptey, Ansu Fati and Adam Webster will all miss out, but Danny Welbeck and Solly March could return to the squad on Sunday.
Predicted Brighton lineup vs Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Brighton will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. The Dutchman will be in for a big challenge against a potent Arsenal attack.
Defence
In front of Verbruggen, Jan Paul van Hecke should partner Lewis Dunk at the heart of Brighton’s defence. They will be tasked with initiating attacks from the back whilst keeping the Arsenal striker at bay.
Joel Veltman came on as a substitute against Marseille after missing the Burnley clash last weekend due to personal reasons. He could start at left-back at the Emirates Stadium. While young Jack Hinshelwood has impressed in recent games, Roberto de Zerbi may go with an experienced head at right-back and Pascal Gros appears to be that player.
Midfield
Carlos Baleba and Mahmoud Dahoud are best placed to continue in central midfield, although Billy Gilmour is also an option. The duo will be responsible for disrupting Arsenal’s rhythm and providing a base in the centre of the park for Brighton to build their attacks.
Adam Lallana, who came off the bench against Marseille in midweek, will act as the creative glue between the midfield and attack. He will look to occupy pockets of space in the final third and try to cause problems for the home side’s defence.
Attack
Evan Ferguson is likely to lead the line, flanked by Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma. The trio will look to combine well in the final third and create all kinds of problems for Arsenal’s defence. Ferguson will be heavily reliant on the service provided by Adingra and Mitoma from the right and left wing, respectively.
Joao Pedro, whose strike was the difference against Marseille in the Europa League, could be involved at some point off the bench. Welbeck and March could also get some minutes if deemed fully fit.