Brighton Vs Arsenal

Brighton Vs Arsenal
The American Express Community Stadium
Saturday 26th January, 15:00 BST kick off
Referee: Michael Oliver


The F.A Cup

Realistically, FA cup is the only trophy we can win this season. Hence why Arsene seems pretty serious about it this year and it's good to see that. However i would insist that if FA cup is getting in the way of our top 4 ambitions then i don't know if it's worth chasing after it. By this i mean we have a very important game against Liverpool on Wednesday. Is it not better to rest few players for that game ? specially since they have played 4 games in the last 2 weeks and all of them pretty high profile as well. But if we do rest them, then that takes away our chance of winning something this year. It's a hard one to decide and everyone have their own opinions to go by. Question at this point must be raised that why can't we go for both? why is it always have to be either of the two? Well the answer to that is that our first team squad consists of 19 players only. And at least 4 of the players within that are more or less gone this summer. In any case, according to the latest reports Arsene will indeed rest 1 or 2 players and apparently few reserve players have been training with the 1st team too. Therefore i think Wenger is trying his best to target both but which one will we succeed in ? Time will tell.

Brighton's Aura

Even though it has just been a month into the new year, Brighton are unbeaten in all the competitions so far. Thus making them a bigger threat than the likes of Reading or even West ham. They always get sold out and if you saw the game against Newcastle, then you would know that it will be pretty hostile over there and not surprisingly either. The reason for that along with what i mentioned at the start of the paragraph is the management of Gustavo Poyet. He was a wonderful player and his management has been pretty good too so far. He believes in the passing and attacking philosophy and the number of signings from Spain are a good example of that. Michael Cox in the talking tactics column states "Brighton’s squad is a mixture of experienced Championship-level players, and some technically impressive Spanish imports, which sums up their style of play. They have rightly received praise for their adventurous passing football, but Poyet is also a pragmatic coach, and will instruct his players to make this game scrappy and physical. "

Tomorrow's game is much more difficult than people expect.

Team news

Brighton defender Bruno is close to returning from an Achilles injury but faces a late fitness test.
Winger Vicente returned from injury in the last game and could keep his place, while striker Leonardo Ulloa could make his debut after joining from Almeria.

Arsenal will be without captain Thomas Vermaelen (ankle) while midfielder Mikel Arteta (calf) is also sidelined.
Midfielders Abou Diaby (thigh) and Tomas Rosicky (calf) are back but Francis Coquelin (hamstring) is out.

Arsenal Probable Team

-----------------------------------------------------Szczesny------------------------------------------------

Jenkinson----------------------Mertesacker-------------------------------Koscielny----------------------Gibbs

---------------------------------Diaby----------------------------------Ramsey--------------------------------

Oxlade---------------------------------------------Wilshere-------------------------------------------Podolski

-------------------------------------------------Giroud--------------------------------------------------------

Brighton Probable team

------------------------------------------------------Ankergren-----------------------------------------------

Lopez-----------------------------Greer----------------------------------El-Abd------------------------Bridge

---------------------------Bridcutt------------------Orlandi-------------------------Hammond------------------

------------barne-----------------------------------Mackail-Smith--------------------------------LuaLua--------

Match Facts (BBC)

Head-to-head

•Arsenal have had the better of the exchanges with Brighton, winning nine and losing two of the 13 matches between the sides, eight of which were in the top-flight between 1979 and 1983.
•The Gunners hold a 100% record over the Seagulls in the FA Cup.
•The London side won 2-0 away in the third round in 1935, repeated the result at Highbury in the fourth round in 1980 and were 2-1 fourth round victors in their most recent clash at the Goldstone Ground in 1988.

Brighton & Hove Albion

•Newcastle's third round conquerors are looking to claim another Premier League scalp in one of four top-flight against Championship contests in this fourth round, which would give Brighton a place in the fifth round for the third season running.
•Twelve months ago, Gus Poyet's side also ended the interest of Newcastle in this fourth round.
•The 1983 runners-up have not lost any of the last nine FA Cup matches on their own territory. Mansfield's third round triumph in 2008 is the Seagulls' only loss in their last 13 FA Cup matches in front of the home faithful.

Arsenal

•The 10 times winners, seven times runners-up and second most successful club in FA Cup history have only fallen as early as the fourth round in two of the last 12 seasons, and it was top-flight opposition that ejected Arsenal on both occasions.
•The north London club, 21 places higher than Brighton, were last eliminated by a non-Premier League club in the third round in January 1996, when Sheffield United of the second tier knocked them out, prior to Arsene Wenger's arrival.
•The Gunners, who fell foul of League Two Bradford City in the Capital One Cup, have lost 99 matches in FA Cup history.

Final Words

Hopefully we can continue from where we left against West ham but hard to see that. Don't want a replay. Let's end it there

Oxlade and Podolski both at RW.

Arsenal to win 2-0 or 3-0.

I'm not sure what's going on with Diaby. I've a feeling he'll be left out the starting line-up ahead of the Liverpool game in mid-week. Wilshere will be captain, so he'll start. Rosicky will start, apparently, which is great news. Podolski will probably retain his place since he's just come back from a couple of games out. Chamberlain, Jenkinson and Santos will get games because they've not started in a while.

That's who I think will start, anyway. With our squad as it is, it's a bit difficult to really rotate with the Liverpool game in mind.

As for the game itself, it's going to be hard. Brighton play good football and have home advantage, so they'll come out the blocks early. We can't afford to start slow, otherwise we'll probably concede early and we'll have to exert ourselves to come back from behind for the umpteenth time. We could very easily suffer an upset, which is the last thing we need.

If we actually start well and play with the same energy and intent as we did against West Ham, then we'll win comfortably. Here's hoping we can do so and have a nice, straight forward cup match for once.

I hope we play the game with the same intensity like last game..
I would like us to play a second tier team resting key players like Wilshere, Gibbs and Cazorla.. And may be sub them early as at the beginning of second half if
Happy to see Wilshere wearing the armband but i thought this was the only possible rest for him in our tight fixture list.. He has started 18 of 19 games since coming back and he keeps taking those knocks continuously.. But we dont have much of a choice here..
Only other option is to start Rosicky if he is fit.. Rosicky-Ramsey-Diaby should be enough along with Ox.. And hope we can start Eisfield or Gnabry on the other flank so Walcott too gets a break..
I would take the 4th place trophy over FA cup any day..

Great work RG.

We must give them a good beating, cant take another embarrassing loss.

I think wenger should give some players some rest, no need to start Cazorla.

Like the title said in the last post match analysis thread; Flattering to deceive again? I juz trully hope that it won't be the case.

WE SHOULD NOT LOSE TO TEAMS LIKE BRIGHTON! Doesn't matter if we're at home or away. That's all I'm saying.

Shouldn't Jack rest in this game too? He's started almost every game (if not all games) since he came back.

Boss preview RG

I agree with Urban,Jack shouldn't play more than 60 minutes tonight.
Hoping for some reserve players to impress.