Brighton v Arsenal: Premier League – stay

12 min: Saka skedaddles down the precise at warp velocity. He sails elegantly into the field, swans previous Dunk, then curls a shot vast left. So near the opener.

10 min: Brighton are starting to hit their straps. Moder advances down the center and drags a shot vast left. Mikel Arteta, who seemed calm within the dugout at the beginning, is now up, arms folded, prowling and scowling.

9 min: Lamptey scampers into area down the precise earlier than slicing again for Enciso, who’s free on the sting of the Arsenal D. Enciso leans again underneath stress from the late arrival of White, and balloons his shot miles over the bar. That’s one other nice probability. In a parallel universe someplace, it’s already 1-1.

8 min: Welbeck tries to dribble his means down the precise solely to be clipped by Saliba. Brighton need the free kick, however the referee performs benefit, after which Saliba stops Adingra, a lot to the irritation of the house assist. Some benefit, however hey, the referees attempt their finest.

6 min: Jorginho stays down some time however is okay to proceed. “Havertz, then,” begins Charles Antaki. “Saved in on the expense of Martinelli sacrificed for Jesus. Is that it now, all early worries and wobbles forgiven, vapid drifting about become purposeful motion, targets now anticipated fairly than a pleasant shock? The hard-to-please Arsenal fan will deal with it very like Chou En Lai did the success of the French revolution – too early to inform.”

4 min: … Gabriel clears with a powerful header, after which the whistle goes for a foul on Jorginho. One other 86 minutes of this end-to-end stuff can be most passable.

3 min: Brighton contribute to the thrust and parry with an assault of their very own, Enciso profitable a nook with a purposeful run down the left. And when that’s taken …

1 min 3 sec: Odegaard makes to swing within the free kick, however dummies. Everybody resets within the center, and Brighton are caught out. Odegaard delivers this time, and Gabriel ought to energy house a header from six yards, however clanks it vast left. What a enormous probability for the quickest of begins!

11 sec: Havertz is clumsily clipped by Van Hecke, and Arsenal have an opportunity to ship a free kick in from the left.

Arsenal get the ball rolling … after the taking of the knee. There’s no room for racism.

The groups are out! A tremendous couple-of-afternoon-pints-in environment greets the gamers as they emerge from the tunnel. Brighton sport their blue and white stripes whereas Arsenal are dressed like the duvet of Eno’s Music for Airports. We’ll be off after a fast blast of 1/1 Sussex by the Sea.

Roberto De Zerbi talks to Sky Sports activities … “One drawback has been scoring targets however we now have been creating lots of possibilities … [Danny] Welbeck is a prime participant for us … Joao Pedro as properly, however he can’t begin right this moment as a result of he performed 90 minutes after two months off from damage … Arsenal are a prime staff within the Premier League … they’ve unbelievable gamers and an unbelievable fashion of play … they rating lots of targets and don’t concede many … it’s a powerful recreation for us … we now have an ambition to remain at this degree within the desk.”

… and so does Mikel Arteta. “[Bukayo] Saka has been coaching good … video games are coming thick and quick … we now have choices … we now have a giant process right this moment to beat Brighton … we now have to be higher than them as a way to do this.”

Manchester Metropolis’s lunchtime 4-2 win at Crystal Palace has nudged Arsenal down to 3rd place for now. By no means thoughts, the Gunners can leapfrog Metropolis all the best way to the highest with victory this night …

Adjustments aplenty for each groups, with Brighton making 5 within the wake of their boring 0-0 draw at Brentford. Danny Welbeck, Tariq Lamptey, Pervis Estupinan, Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder take the locations of Joao Pedro, Adam Lallana, Joel Veltman, Igor and Facundo Buonanotte, who all drop to the bench.

Arsenal in the meantime swap out 4 gamers after their simple 2-0 win over Luton. Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Jorginho and Gabriel Jesus return; Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Leandro Trossard drop to the bench, whereas Reiss Nelson misses out altogether this time.

The groups

Preamble