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Premier League | Gameweek 15
Dec 5, 2019 at 8.15pm UK
 
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Lacazette (50')
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Webster (36'), Maupay (80')

How Arsenal could line up against Brighton & Hove Albion

Sports Mole looks at how Arsenal could line up for Thursday's Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates.

Freddie Ljungberg will take charge of his first home game as Arsenal interim manager when the Gunners meet Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Thursday night.

The former midfielder oversaw a 2-2 draw with Norwich City on Sunday during his first game in the dugout.

Supporters will expect the North London side, now without a win in eight games, to produce greater verve and precision in the final third against Graham Potter's men.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Ljungberg could line up his side for this fixture.


POSSIBLE ARS XI v BRI

Out: Dani Ceballos (thigh)
Doubtful: Hector Bellerin (thigh), Rob Holding (knee)

> Click here to view Arsenal's full list of injuries and suspensions ahead of Thursday's encounter

Ljungberg will be expected to name a team that attacks boldly and with cohesion, but a more pressing issue for the Gunners comes at the back, with the club's last clean sheet coming on October 6.

In that sense, the manager will be desperate to reintroduce Kieran Tierney, who only made the bench against Norwich City due to a knock but looks set for a return to the starting XI on Thursday.

David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi are hardly an ideal pairing, but Ljungberg has recently made it clear that he wanted to show faith in the duo and give them time to form a connection on the pitch.

Lucas Torreira was a player whose stock went down under Emery, with the Spaniard criticising the player for failing to fulfil the demands of a more advanced attacking role when the Uruguayan wanted to play deeper.

Despite being benched against Norwich, the midfielder could be given a chance to impress at the Emirates in his more favoured deep-lying midfield role.

The anchoring presence of Granit Xhaka, back in the Premier League fold after his banishing to the bench under Emery, will enable Torreira to make passes from deep into the final third for the attacking quartet to capitalise on.

Another player given a vote of confidence by their new boss is Mesut Ozil, who made just his fifth Premier League appearance of the season at Carrow Road having never really earned the trust of Emery. Games like these, against opponents who sit back, provide a perfect platform for the German can demonstrate what he can do.

Further forward, the struggling Nicolas Pepe will not get a chance from the start, with Ljungberg instead entrusting attacking duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette - 14 goals between them in the league so far this term - with the task of leading Arsenal's attacking threat against the Seagulls.

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Freddie Ljungberg pictured on November 27, 2019
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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