Preview: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

Both mid-table Brighton & Hove Albion and title-chasing Arsenal will have a third straight Premier League win in their sights when they lock horns at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Seagulls took down Nottingham Forest 2-1 in Sunday's home affair, before the Gunners bested Chelsea by the same scoreline to remain in control of their first-placed destiny.

Match preview

Set-piece records have been Arsenal's bread and butter during the Mikel Arteta years, and where their open-play sequences failed against Liam Rosenior's Chelsea, their colossal corner routines proved as devastating as ever.

Headers from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber - either side of Piero Hincapie's own aerial effort into his own net - propelled the Gunners to a victory that was far less convincing than it should have been against Chelsea, whose customary red card to Pedro Neto galvanised them for the final 20 minutes.

However, thanks to a combination of David Raya heroics and the offside flag, Arsenal held out for victory on a day where they equalled the record for the most corner goals in a single Premier League season with 16 - it is seemingly only a matter of time before the unprecedented 17th arrives.

A second straight London derby success - after their destruction of Tottenham Hotspur - allowed Arsenal to restore their five-point lead over Manchester City, who still have a match in hand, so it is still as you were in the title race ahead of next month's Etihad extravaganza.

Furthermore, not only are the visitors unbeaten in 11 away games in all tournaments, their attacking exploits on the road have come on leaps and bounds - they averaged 1.2 goals per game in Premier League away contests between August and December, compared to 2.3 per match since the turn of the year.

Also buoyed by back-to-back victories in the top flight, Brighton have picked up more Premier League wins in their last two games than they had in their previous 13 beforehand, suggesting that their European dream is not dead and buried just yet.

Erstwhile Arsenal attacker Danny Welbeck had the crucial say against Nottingham Forest following Diego Gomez's stunning opener, as Fabian Hurzeler's men earned consecutive Premier League victories for only the second time this season, after coincidentally also besting Brentford and Forest in November.

The Seagulls have not won three straight top-flight battles since the 2025-26 season kicked off, though, and their recent six-point haul was not enough to lift them back into the top half of the Premier League table; they enter the midweek round in 11th place.

Still, the signs of revival are encouraging for Brighton, who have also suffered just two Premier League home defeats all season long, albeit while also winning just two of their last eight at the Amex.

The Seagulls held Arsenal to a 1-1 stalemate on home turf a little over a year ago, but Arteta's men have earned two home victories in the EFL Cup and top flight this season already and have gone unbeaten in five trips to Brighton's turf since 2020-21.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

Arsenal Premier League form:

Arsenal form (all competitions):

Team News

Arsenal's crucial win over Chelsea did not come without sacrifice, as midfield maestro Declan Rice was spotted in clear discomfort during the second half before being withdrawn, and his condition will be assessed in the coming hours.

Martin Odegaard (knee) and Ben White (knock) are also on the Gunners' touch-and-go list - although Arteta suggested that the former's absence on Sunday was precautionary - while Mikel Merino is definitely missing with his foot problem.

Should neither Rice nor Odegaard be passed fit for Wednesday, the Myles Lewis-Skelly midfield trial could finally come to fruition; the Hale End graduate was due to start centrally against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup before Riccardo Calafiori's warm-up injury.

Hosts Brighton may also have to make one enforced change to their starting lineup, as Mats Wieffer could not complete the full 90 against Forest, so Joel Veltman could be drafted into the right-back slot.

Wieffer is one of four fitness concerns for Hurzeler alongside Yasin Ayari - on the verge of his return from a shoulder problem - and long-term absentees Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas, both of whom are out for the season with knee injuries.

James Milner made his record-extending 655th Premier League appearance from the first whistle on Sunday, but the youthful Carlos Baleba is an alternative if the former's 40-year-old legs are spared given the quick turnaround.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Gross, Baleba; Gomez, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Welbeck

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-2 Arsenal

The Brighton revival is gathering pace, but defensive concerns continue to linger for the Seagulls, who have only managed to keep one clean sheet in their last 10 matches in all competitions.

Whether it be from open play or dead balls - most likely the latter - a rotated Arsenal should find a way to take all three points, but it is unlikely to be pretty.

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