The Matchday 18 Premier League fixture between Arsenal and Brighton will take place on December 27 at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal vs Brighton: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Arsenal
The Gunners secured a hard-fought away victory over Everton in the last round, converting the match's only goal from the penalty spot (1-0). Prior to that, the club ground out a win at home against Wolverhampton (2-1). Thanks to those results, Mikel Arteta's side remain at the top of the table, although their lead over Manchester City is still just two points. It is also worth noting that in their previous 14 Premier League matches the Gunners have suffered only one defeat (10 wins and 3 draws). Arsenal also boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded just 10 goals.
- Both teams scored in 5 of Arsenal's last 7 Premier League matches.
- The team failed to score more than two goals in 12 of their last 14 league games.
- Arsenal have a run of 5 consecutive Premier League wins at the Emirates.
Predicted Arsenal lineup (4-3-3)*
David Raya – Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Incapié, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba – Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard – Bukayo Saka, Victor Džokeres, Leandro Trossard.
Striker Kai Havertz, defenders Christian Mosquera, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhães will miss the game through injury.
Brighton
Fabian Hürzeler's side have gone four league matches without a victory — two draws and two defeats. Three of those fixtures were at home, where the team failed to take advantage of home support; in the last round at the Amex they were held to a goalless draw by Sunderland (0-0). That was Brighton's second successive Premier League match without scoring, something the club hadn't experienced since February. Brighton sit ninth in the table, with the gap to the Champions League places having grown to five points.
- The club has avoided defeat in 10 of their last 13 Premier League matches — 5 wins and 5 draws.
- Brighton have scored in 11 of their last 14 away league games.
- The team conceded only in the first half without reply in 7 of their last 9 away league matches.
Predicted Brighton lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Bart Verbruggen – Diego Coppola, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Olivier Boscagli, Mats Wiffer – Jack Hinshelwood, Maxim De Kuyper – Yassine Ayari, Bryan Gruda, Yankuba Minte – Jorginho Rutter.
Defenders Adam Webster and Solly March, plus striker Stephanos Tsimas, are sidelined with injuries. Midfielder Carlos Baleba has been called up to his national team. Forward Danny Welbeck is doubtful for the match.
Referee
John Brooks (England)
Matches – 6 (Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 50%.
Arsenal vs Brighton: Match Prediction
As the season progresses it is becoming increasingly difficult for Arsenal to grind out wins. The team tends to rely on one or two precise moments in attack combined with a solid defensive setup. So far that approach is paying dividends, but chasing sides such as Manchester United and Aston Villa are playing more entertaining football and could catch Arsenal before the new year. I expect Mikel Arteta's tactical approach to remain unchanged for the upcoming fixture, and we are likely to see two or three goals in the match.
No more than three goals have been scored in five of Arsenal's last Premier League matches. Brighton's scoring output has also decreased: a maximum of three goals were posted in 7 of their last 8 league games. Additionally, that number of goals has been recorded in 15 of the last 16 head-to-head Premier League meetings between the sides.
My prediction – Total under 3
* For each team the starting lineup shown is from their last match in this competition.