Arsenal vs Brighton Prediction and Betting Tips: Gunners to shoot down Seagulls at Emirates
The Emirates Stadium is set for a thrilling Premier League showdown this Saturday, as Arsenal welcome Brighton for their Saturday lunchtime kick off. Both teams have collected maximum points so far, with the top spot up for grabs.
Dean has cast his betting eye over proceedings and produced these two selections for punters to consider.
Arsenal vs Brighton Predictions
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Arsenal enter this fixture riding high after a crucial 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend. The Gunners, under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, have now won their last eight Premier League games, showcasing a level of consistency reminiscent of their legendary Invincibles. However, it was David Raya's remarkable save from Ollie Watkins at the weekend that truly defined their resilience. Another win on Saturday could see Arsenal achieve nine consecutive Premier League victories, a feat not accomplished since 2003-04.
Arsenal will likely be without Gabriel Jesus once again as the Brazilian forward recovers from a groin injury, joining Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney on the sidelines. With Jesus out, Mikel Arteta might consider giving Leandro Trossard a start against his former club, Brighton, especially after Gabriel Martinelli's recent dip in form. New signing Mikel Merino, fresh from Real Sociedad, is expected to make the bench, with Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard set to maintain their midfield roles.
Brighton, continue to impress under the stewardship of Fabian Hurzeler, who has guided the Seagulls to an unblemished start to the campaign. After a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester United, Brighton's confidence is soaring. Despite some nervy moments, including a scare from an offside goal, Hurzeler's men have shown they can handle the pressure. Now, the Seagulls face a tough challenge as they seek to break their London hoodoo and build on their recent success, including a memorable 3-0 win at the Emirates in May 2023.
Brighton also face some injury concerns as Matt O'Riley, who limped off early on his debut, is unlikely to feature due to an ankle injury. Despite Evan Ferguson's return to the bench, Danny Welbeck, with his eye on scoring in three consecutive Premier League games, is expected to lead the line against his former club. Turkish left-back Ferdi Kadioglu might also make his debut here against a busy Bukayo Saka.
Only Bukayo Saka was fouled more for Arsenal than the German Kai Havertz last season and he has a nice match-up against the Dutchman Jan Paul Van Hecke.
Hecke will likely start at RCB partnering Lewis Dunk, which will see Hecke in plenty of duels against the German. He has made three fouls this season in his two games, one of them a crunching challenge late on against Mancehster Uniteds Lisandro Martinez. He was never winning the ball, but just wanted to get stuck in.
Havertz does a good job of get the ball to feet and laying it off, which im sure will happen at points. When Brighton played Everton on the opening gameweek, Everton got the ball up to Calvert-Lewin, and again, Hecke decided to go straight through the back of him with no intention to win the ball.
Priced with most books around the 1.5 mark on multiple books to commit a foul, I think there's some value in this direct match up at a juicy price with a great matchup.
With the 13/8 looking generous, it's hard to resist a small play on the two fouls at a double figure price.
Havertz has drawn two or more fouls in three of his last six Premier league games, drawing three against Wolves on the opening day with Wolves right centre back, Mosquera, fouling Havertz twice.
Hecke is also pretty consistent at registering two fouls, hitting that line in five of his last ten matches. If we can get two fouls out of Hecke again this weekend, we have a solid chance of them being directed at the German which could see us land a lovely double figure price.
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