Brighton vs Arsenal - Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction
Brighton host Arsenal in the final Premier League game of the calendar year on Saturday evening.
Both clubs returned to top-flight action with convincing 3-1 victories which left their respective managers purring over the performance as well as three points.
Brighton's win over rock-bottom Southampton left them one point off sixth-placed Liverpool after Boxing Day. Arsenal recovered from a half-time deficit to maintain their 100% home record against West Ham, cementing their spot at the Premier League summit for another week.
Here's everything you need to know about the meeting between two confident clubs.
Where are Brighton vs Arsenal playing?
- Location: Falmer, England
- Stadium: Amex Stadium
- Date: Saturday 31 December
- Kick-off Time: 17:30 GMT / 12:00 ET / 09:30 PT
- VAR: Paul Tierney
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
Brighton vs Arsenal H2H Results (Last Five Games)
- Brighton: 2 Wins
- Arsenal: 2 Wins
- Draws: 1
Current Form (Last Five Games)
- Brighton: WWLDW
- Arsenal: WWLWW
How to watch Brighton vs Arsenal on TV and live stream
United Kingdom
- Sky Sports Main Event (UK)
- Sky Sports Premier League (UK)
- Sky Sports Ultra HDR (UK)
United States
- NBC Universo (United States)
Canada
- fuboTV (Canada)
Brighton team news
The only thing about Brighton's Boxing Day victory over Southampton which angered Roberto De Zerbi was the yellow card Moises Caicedo collected. The caution, brandished in the 85th minute with the game long won, will ensure the instrumental midfielder is suspended this Saturday.
Danny Welbeck could return to face his old club as he nears the conclusion of a muscular injury but Adam Webster and the celebrating Alexis Mac Allister aren't expected until January.
Jakub Moder has tentatively been scheduled for a February return from an ACL injury.
Brighton predicted lineup vs Arsenal
Brighton Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Gross, Gilmour; March, Lallana, Mitoma; Trossard.
Bench: Steele, Van Hecke, Lamptey, Welbeck, Moran, Sarmiento, Enciso, Ferguson, Undav.
Arsenal team news
While Gabriel Jesus continues his recovery from a knee injury, Reiss Nelson is nursing a significant thigh problem. Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu could return from groin and hamstring issues respectively on New Year's Eve.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brighton
Arsenal Starting 11 (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli.
Bench: Turner, Holding, Tierney, Cedric, Elneny, Sambi, Vieira, Marquinhos, Smith Rowe.
Brighton vs Arsenal score prediction
As recently as November, Brighton proved to be a spoke in the wheel of the Premier League's pace-setters, coming from behind to record a 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium in the Carabao Cup. Arteta will point to a much-rotated XI that day but De Zerbi rested his top scorer Leandro Trossard as well.
Arsenal will be without their figurehead upfront, Jesus, for the foreseeable future. Eddie Nketiah passed the first test as the Brazilian's understudy with a goal against West Ham and actually opened the scoring against Brighton in the cup.
This well-drilled Seagulls side will certainly cause Arsenal far more defensive problems than a toothless West Ham did (and the Irons still mustered a converted penalty). However, the absence of Caicedo will be a big miss.
While Arsenal's form this season warrants them the tag of favourites, it may well be a tight contest rife with tactical pitfalls for both sides.
Prediction: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal
