Brighton and Hove Albion vs Arsenal. Premier League.
Amex StadiumAttendance31,266.
Danny Welbeck doubtful for Arsenal reunion while Granit Xhaka begins lengthy spell on sidelines; watch Brighton vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Saturday Night Football; kick-off 5.30pm
Saturday 2 October 2021 17:29, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Brighton vs Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday Night Football; kick-off 5.30pm.
Brighton will be without Steven Alzate for Saturday evening's Premier League game against Arsenal, while Danny Welbeck is a major doubt.
Midfielder Alzate is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury in Monday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Forward Welbeck has been sent to a specialist after sustaining a hamstring problem in that game.
Yves Bissouma, who missed out against Palace due to a knee issue, will be assessed but fellow midfielder Enock Mwepu (groin) and defender Adam Webster (hamstring) are out.
Arsenal are expected to be without midfielder Granit Xhaka for up to three months because of a knee problem.
Switzerland international Xhaka suffered significant damage to the medial ligament in his right knee after being accidentally caught by Lucas Moura during last weekend's north London derby, but is not expected to need surgery.
Arsenal, who secured a third successive league win on Sunday, report no fresh selection problems ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.
Brighton vs Arsenal is live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
I'm more than happy to back Arsenal for an away win here at 6/4 with Sky Bet. Confidence is high, their defence is ultra solid and Brighton are very opposable.
Graham Potter's side are failing to hit the performance metrics of last season yet are now defying that data to pick up results. It's a very weird turn of events. Their attacking process of 6.61 expected goals is the sixth worst total in the Premier League.
If they continue performing at the same level, it's hard to see them breaking down Arsenal's defence that is being led excellently by Gabriel. Arsenal have won their last eight Premier League games in which Gabriel started, conceding just three goals (0.4 per game). Flip that to their record without him where they've won just one of their last seven Premier League games, conceding 14 goals (two per game).
In fact, the Gunners have won eight of their last 11 Premier League games since the start of May - only Liverpool have won more points than Arsenal in that period. A top-six finish is on the cards.
Brighton seriously missed the influence of Yves Bissouma at Crystal Palace. He remains a doubt for this encounter and it's a position where Brighton are lacking strength in depth. Steven Alzate and Enock Mwepu are also both out, so it looks certain that Adam Lallana will play in the engine room. If he does, I'll backing him with confident stakes to pick up a booking at a massive 15/2 with Sky Bet.
The 33-year-old is a fantastic technician still but his positioning and ability to get about the pitch like he used to is on the wane. In his last two games playing in the middle he has given away three niggly fouls - one which led to a booking at Palace. He is surely going to get caught on the wrong side of Arsenal's speedy transitions across their nippy forward line. Fellow central midfielders Rodri, Ashley Westwood and Oliver Skipp have all been booked facing this Arsenal side this season. Lallana can follow suit.
SCORE PREDICTION: 0-1
BETTING ANGLE: Adam Lallana to be carded (15/2 with Sky Bet)
