Arsenal’s match against Manchester City in midweek was postponed due to fear of Coronavirus. It has given them additional time to prepare before they travel to Falmer Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The Gunners have fared well, recently, winning their last three Premier League matches and a victory against Brighton could help them overtake Tottenham Hotspur on the Premier League table.
Here is how Arsenal might line up against the Seagulls this weekend.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Arsenal Lineup Vs Brighton
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Cedric Soares was assessed against Manchester City, and there is a possibility he could be in contention for this fixture. However, we don’t expect him to feature against Brighton. Hector Bellerin, therefore, is likely to get the nod at right-back, ahead of Sokratis and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
On the opposite flank, Kieran Tierney is nearing his return to full fitness. But, he still isn’t ready to get back in action while Sead Kolasinac has been ruled out. That makes Bukayo Saka a guaranteed starter at left-back.
In central defence, Shkodran Mustafi is a doubt heading into this game. That means Sokratis and Pablo Mari will compete for a place alongside David Luiz at the heart of Arsenal’s four-man backline. Mari is likely to get the nod ahead of his Greek counterpart, having performed decently over the past couple of matches.
And finally, there is no one replacing Bernd Leno in goal. The German shot-stopper will be critical as Arsenal look to retain a clean sheet this weekend.
Midfield
Lucas Torreira is expected to miss out with an ankle injury. His absence makes Dani Ceballos almost a guaranteed starter in central midfield, although Matteo Guendouzi is also an option.
Ceballos is expected to feature alongside Granit Xhaka in the double-pivot. Their combination and understanding could be key as the Gunners look to dominate the proceedings.
Elsewhere, Mesut Ozil is set to retain his place in the number ten role. The presence of Ceballos could allow the German to operate in a much more advanced role. His creativity could be crucial as Arsenal look to breach the opposing defence this weekend.
Attack
Mikel Arteta could make one change in attack, with Alexandre Lacazette replacing Eddie Nketiah in the number nine slot. The Frenchman scored the winner against West Ham and will look to continue that momentum this weekend.
Lacazette will be partnered by the wide attacking duo of Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Gabriel Martinelli is also pushing for a start, however.
