Brighton & Hove Albion meet Arsenal at AMEX Stadium in the final Premier League match of 2022.
Victory would see Brighton stay seventh in the table, whilst Arsenal could end 2022 sat at least five points clear at the top with a win.
Team News
Moises Caicedo is suspended for Brighton after he collected his fifth booking of the season during their Boxing Day victory at Southampton.
Danny Welbeck (muscle) could return but Adam Webster (knock), Alexis Mac Allister (personal) and Jakub Moder (knee) remain absent
Arsenal could welcome Takehiro Tomiyasu (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (groin) back into contention if the pair pass late fitness tests, having missed the Gunners’ comeback Boxing Day win over West Ham.
Reiss Nelson (thigh) and Gabriel Jesus (knee) remain absent.
Stat Attack
- Brighton have won four of ten previous Premier League meetings against Arsenal (W4, D3, L3).
- Arsenal have won just one of their last five visits to Brighton (W1, D2, L2).
- All four of Brighton’s Premier League wins against Arsenal have been via 2-1 results.
- Brighton have scored first in each of their last four league matches (W3, L1).
- Arsenal’s last eight away goals in the Premier League have been scored by seven different players, with only Martin Odegaard scoring twice which came in Arsenal’s away win at Wolves in November 2022
Prediction
Having rebounded from their shock Carabao Cup exit to Charlton with a clinical energetic attacking win at Southampton on Boxing Day, Brighton can come into this tasty encounter high on confidence and they really could cause a surprise if they play like they did on Boxing Day.
Roberto De Zerbi’s Seagulls have also already beaten Arsenal this season after they came from behind to win their Third Round tie in the Carabao Cup in North London last month, which will provide additional motivation that they really should seize if want to win this game.
Arsenal meanwhile might be without Jesus but after a wasteful first-half against West Ham, they fought back with improved intensity and movement combined with neat end product yet I do feel like this could be their acid test of their current quality because Brighton will ask tougher questions.
This clash therefore feels like it could be a tactical contest between two energetic attack-minded teams where end product will be crucial, which I feel the Seagulls might just edge given the Gunners’ poor form at the AMEX Stadium.
Prediction: Brighton 2-1 Arsenal
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