Seagulls travel to Arsenal in midweek Premier League clash

Arsenal welcome Brighton and Hove Albion in Freddie Ljungberg’s first home game as Interim Head Coach.

The Swede, 42, will be hoping to earn his first win as temporary boss on Thursday night; and the Gunners’ first league win since October 6. Arsenal drew 2-2 at Norwich on Sunday afternoon and marginally escaped defeat.

Brighton boss Graham Potter will be hoping that the Seagulls end their three game losing streak which has seen them slump to 16th in the table. Although Potter would have been encouraged by their performance at Liverpool on Saturday, despite losing 2-1.

Both games between the pair last season finished 1-1. Glenn Murray’s penalty at the Emirates back in May all but ended Arsenal’s hopes for automatic Champions League Qualification. This meant they had to win the Europa League to qualify for the competition but were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea in the final.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in all of the three games he’s faced Brighton.

Arsenal have never lost at home to Brighton in the eight times they’ve hosted them at both Highbury and the Emirates.

Team news

Dani Ceballos is still unavailable for Arsenal after picking up a thigh injury in their Europa League clash with Vitoria in November. Rob Holding is also a doubt for this fixture, but Hector Bellerin could make an appearance after missing the game with Eintracht Frankfurt with a hamstring problem.

Solly March will not feature for Brighton following a groin injury picked up in their 2-0 defeat at home to Leicester and is most likely to miss the Sussex side’s Christmas Period.

Jose Izquierdo is also sidelined with a knee injury which may keep him out for the rest of season. Bernardo could return to the side on Thursday evening.

Freddie Ljungberg:

“They try to play out,  defend well, they look very organised but for me we need to concentrate on our own game.

“We play at home so I take into account how I think they will play but I have to develop the gameplan how we want to play football and that’s what I try to concentrate on.”

Graham Potter

“They have somebody that in one pass can kill you, and then you’ve got the other two that can stretch the defenders. Arsenal teams have always had great creativity and the ability to build from the back and create chances that way.

“They’ve got some top players and we need to be respectful of that. But we want to be ourselves and take what we did well from the Liverpool match into this game.”

Head-to-head

Games played (In all competitions): 19

Arsenal wins: 12

Brighton wins: 3

Draws: 4