Arsenal visit Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Wednesday night, and Paul Merson has identified one player he believes can light up the Amex.
The Gunners narrowly beat Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of set-piece strikes from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. Having thrashed Tottenham Hotspur in the game prior, the mood around N5 is now significantly more positive than it has been in recent months, with the title now in sight.
Sunday’s clash was arguably Arsenal’s second most difficult remaining fixture, while Wednesday’s affair on the south coast is almost certainly one of the other most challenging games Mikel Arteta’s side have left to play. After a poor run of form, which saw them fail to win in six consecutive Premier League matches, Brighton have secured victory in each of their last two fixtures. Danny Welbeck has returned to form, while Fabian Hurzeler’s outfit generally appear to be re-energised as an offensive team.
A close game could unfold in Sussex, and Merson has subsequently tipped his former club to narrowly emerge with all three points.
Paul Merson says Brighton clash will be a ‘nice game’ for Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze was outstanding against Spurs, expertly dispatching the two chances he got, in the midst of an accomplished all-around display. That said, the creative midfielder followed this up with a much more subdued outing against Chelsea, finding it difficult to influence proceedings in such a cagey encounter.
While an underwhelming performance like this might usually prompt Arteta to make a change, the Spaniard may not have that luxury and thus be forced to stick with Eze for the trip to the Amex. Martin Odegaard missed the Chelsea game due to a knee injury, and it’s not clear whether the Norwegian will be fit enough to feature on the south coast. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz will likely be gently eased back in, meaning the former Crystal Palace man is the obvious candidate to start as Arsenal’s number ten.
Merson has pushed for Eze’s inclusion in recent weeks, and the pundit has once again chosen to highlight the player as someone who can make a pivotal impact.
Writing for Sportskeeda, the ex-Arsenal forward posited: “This will be a nice game for Eberechi Eze though. I expect him to retain his spot in the starting line-up. Brighton are a good footballing team so he will get chances to make an impact. Arsenal to keep ticking along here.”
Merson may be right – Brighton aren’t likely to bunker in their own defensive third like many of Arsenal’s opponents do, and this should create space for Eze to exploit in forward areas.
Paul Merson shares Brighton vs Arsenal prediction
Brighton are about as mid-table as it gets. The Seagulls currently sit eleventh with 37 points, while their underlying numbers suggest this is an entirely accurate reflection of their general performance level across the entire season.
Thus, a trip to the Amex is by no means an easy fixture for Arsenal, and Hurzeler’s side will be up for it after revitalising their European hopes with back-to-back wins.
Merson is confident that Arteta’s men can come through the clash in Falmer, although he has described the game as ‘dangerous’ for the North Londoners.
“This is a dangerous game for Arsenal,” he wrote. “It’s always these games against teams like Brighton that you need to win if you want to lift the title at the end of the season.
“Arsenal will face the pressure in every game now. It’s not like the early part of the season, where you can make up for a bad result. It becomes a major problem for them if any slip-up happens in the coming weeks.
“Declan Rice could be doubtful for this clash. He didn’t look like he was moving well when he had that moment where he tried to kick the ball back to the goalkeeper during the win against Chelsea.”
Merson’s Prediction: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal
