Arsenal beat Brighton 2-0 at the Emirates earlier in the season, but at the time the Gunners were on an unbeaten run of ten games at home, while Brighton had gained only one point on the road and were favourites for relegation, but this match has a completely different complexion looking at recent form.
Let us start with Arsenal’s last six away games….
Hmm not the sort of figures that would fill Arsenal fans with confidence, and our players are rather lacking in that department at the moment as well, but how well have Brighton been doing in the meantime?
Brighton have also managed to draw both of their last two away games so they are now unbeaten in six matches.
And also, of course Arsene Wenger and his side haven taken a lot of bashing in the media, and more worryingly on the field. Not only have the Gunners lost their last two matches against City they have also lost their last 3 away games, and confidence is at an all-time low. “[Our past two results] have taken out confidence and brought big disappointment,” Wenger said. “In football, as I said yesterday, you lose confidence very quickly and you regain it very slowly.
“You have to always show that kind of strength not to give in. In organisations when big kinds of disappointments come, they divide and they split. Our experience has to help us to stay together and focus on the next games.”
Wenger obviously believes that we can bounce back, and this is his blueprint for regaining our confidence: “First of all by analysing everything in an objective way.The game [against Man City] was not all negatives – there were a lot of positives in that game. The size of the score, it’s always tempting to think it was all rubbish, which was not the case. You have to take perspective, sit back, look at the whole picture and analyse really where we were poor and where we were strong, and insist on the strong points and get rid of the weak points that we have shown.”
Our biggest weak point this season has been our defence and to make it worse, we have lost our most consistent defender in Nacho Monreal, and are looking even more fragile at the back, so I have a feeling that Wenger will try and pack our back line again with the 5-man set up.. With Lacazette still out as well, I am hoping that the Boss continues with welbeck instead of Iobi, he looked much sharper in the home game against City.
Here is my line-up prediction….
Cech
Bellerin Chambers Mustafi Koscielny Kolasinac
Xhaka Ramsey
Welbeck Ozil
Aubameyang
As for the score, it is very hard to be confident, but Brighton are not Man City and the players and Wenger are playing for their futures and need a positive reaction desperately. I’ll go for a repeat of our early season result and say 2-0 to the Arsenal…