Preview of the Arsenal-Brighton match
League leaders Arsenal host Brighton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night for the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners avoided an upset against Port Vale in their opening game of the competition, while Fabian Hurzeler’s Seagulls arrive in north London fresh from consecutive 6-0 victories, a record run in EFL Cup history.
Mikel Arteta’s team is flying high at national level, unbeaten in ten games and winning seven in a row in all competitions. Their latest success, a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace, maintained a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal’s last EFL Cup triumph came in 1993, but their squad’s depth and current momentum suggest this could be their best chance in years to add mid-season silverware.
Meanwhile, Brighton have already made history in the competition by becoming the first team to win consecutive EFL Cup matches by six or more goals. Their 6-0 demolition of Oxford United was followed by another ruthless display against Barnsley, where Diego Gomez scored four, the first player to do so in an away EFL Cup tie since Julio Baptista for Arsenal in 2007.
However, the Seagulls’ relationship with the fourth round has not been very kind: they have failed to reach the quarter-finals since 1978-79 and have been eliminated at this stage in four of the last five campaigns.
Their recent 4-2 defeat to Manchester United ended a five-match unbeaten run, although previous visits to the Emirates in this competition have brought them success, notably a 3-1 win in 2022.
Team news for Arsenal-Brighton
Arsenal’s victory over Palace came with a high number of injuries. William Saliba, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Martinelli all suffered knocks, although the first three were likely to be rested anyway.
They join long-term absentees Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, leaving Arteta out of options but still able to rotate effectively.
Expect Piero Hincapie to make his full debut, while teen star Ethan Nwaneri could feature in the band after impressing in previous rounds.
Brighton’s injury situation is improving slightly. Kaoru Mitoma, Joel Veltman and Brajan Gruda are close to returning and could make the matchday squad, but Jack Hinshelwood, Solly March and Adam Webster remain long-term absentees.
Veteran James Milner and four-goal hero Diego Gomez are candidates to start after coming off the bench in the weekend defeat at Old Trafford.
Expected lineups for Arsenal-Brighton
Arsenal: Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Èze, Norgaard, Merino; Nwaneri, Gyokeres, Trossard
Brighton: steel; Wieffer, Dunk, Boscagli, De Cuyper; Milner, Ayari; Gomez, Rutter, Minteh; Welbeck
How to watch Arsenal v Brighton: TV channel, online stream
The match kicks off at 7:45pm (UK time) on Wednesday 30 October live from Emirates Stadium.
In the UK, the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, with live streaming available via the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers.
Arsenal-Brighton statistics
- The arsenal is undefeated in their last 10 Games in all competitions.
- The Gunners have maintained five consecutive clean sheetsscoring 15 goals in that time
- Brighton has scored 12 goals in two EFL Cup gamesboth finishing 6-0
- The seagulls have have not reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals since 1979
- Arsenal’s last home defeat to Brighton came November 2022 (3-1, EFL Cup)
- Diego Gomez has five goals in his last three appearances for Brighton
Prediction
Even with injuries forcing rotation, Arsenal’s current depth and confidence make them difficult to stop at the Emirates.
Brighton’s offensive form in the competition cannot be ignored, but the Seagulls’ defensive inconsistencies, especially away from home, could prove costly.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Brighton
