Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs Brighton: Demons to Banish

Arsenal travel to the AMEX Stadium on Tuesday to face Brighton. Here’s their predicted lineup.

Off the back of the best win of the season, even more so than Old Trafford given the circumstances, Arsenal face new foes in Brighton on Tuesday.

In the six meetings between the two sides in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta‘s side have got the better of the Seagulls on just one occasion. It was the first meeting back in October 2017.

Since then, the Gunners have drawn two of the five clashes, repeatedly failing short in this fixture with some bitterly disappointing results. Last season both fixtures finished 2-1 to Brighton.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Full of confidence heading into Tuesday’s clash on the south coast, Arteta has a tough job on his hands selecting a side to end that run while equally finding a balance from the team who performed admirably against Chelsea.

Emile Smith Rowe made his first Premier League start of the season – and only second ever – putting in a solid shift that added new impetus to the Gunners’ usually flacid offensive approach.

In front of him, Gabriel Martinelli was his usual aggressive self, helping to invigorate the front line and inspire others, while the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wasn’t as keenly felt as initially anticipated.

With the captain back fit for this one, it’ll be interesting to see whether Arteta sticks with his winning formula or freshens his side up for the busy winter schedule. Here is Arsenal’s predicted lineup.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – One can only dread how the final five minutes of the win over Chelsea would have panned out had Leno not come to his side’s rescue from the penalty spot. The German is so far ahead of the other options at the club that it’s a genuinely terrifying prospect if he picks up an injury. It was ground last season where he was Maupayed..

Hector Bellerin (RB) – A solid display from the Spaniard against the Blues is unlikely to result in Bellerin being dropped for Brighton, even if Ainsley Maitland-Niles had performed well in his stead.

Rob Holding (CB) – Holding is not among the top centre-backs in the Premier League yet he continues to up his game in the latter stages of matches when Arsenal find themselves with their backs against the wall. His place is assured.

Pablo Mari (CB) – After such a lengthy lay-off, Pablo Mari’s first start of the season was an impressive one on Boxing Day. His frame is invaluable in both boxes, and despite being fairly sluggish, he presses opposition forwards consistetly. Pocketed Tammy Abraham well, too.

In Gabriel’s absence he retains his spot.

Kieran Tierney (LB) – £25m looks like some of the best money Arsenal have spent in the Emirates era. No player shows as more courage or willingness than the Scot, who is up there with the best left-backs in Europe. That’s not even a joke.