Arsenal go welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Emirates Stadium on Saturday for another festive Premier League clash.
The Gunners dey top of the league again for Christmas Day, just like dem do for two of the last four seasons, and dem dey find way to continue their strong home form this season against Brighton.
Match Preview
Mikel Arteta still dey chase him first Premier League title as Arsenal manager since he take over for December 2019. Even though, under am, Arsenal don transform enter one of the strongest teams for world football in terms of results, squad depth, quality and overall respect.
Arsenal enter this festive period sitting top of the Premier League table after dem reclaim first position with tight 1-0 away win against Everton on December 20, 2025. Na Viktor Gyokeres score the winning penalty wey push Arsenal back above Manchester City.
This season na the fifth time Arsenal don lead Premier League for Christmas Day, but for the previous four times, dem no manage to win the league title. The most painful ones be for 2002–03, when Manchester United overtake dem, and 2007–08, when dem later finish third.
Under Arteta, this na the third time Arsenal dey top for Christmas, after 2022–23 and the following season, but Manchester City still overtake dem both times. This season again, City na their closest rival, sitting just two points behind.
Despite plenty injury issues, the 13-time English champions don impress well this season. Dem don win 12 of their 17 league matches, remain unbeaten for home, and drop points for only one of their eight Premier League games at Emirates — a 1-1 draw against Pep Guardiola Manchester City for September.
For those home games, Arsenal don score 25 goals and concede only six, showing how strong dem dey for North London.
However, Arsenal home record against Brighton no too dominant like against other teams. Dem don win just three of eight league meetings at Emirates, which na their lowest win rate against any team wey dem don face at least five times, apart from Wimbledon and Liverpool.
Interestingly, all three Arsenal home league wins against Brighton end 2-0 — October 2017, May 2021 and December 2023.
The Gunners don also win their last five Premier League home matches in a row. Only once under Arteta dem do better than that, when dem win 10 straight home league games between April and December 2022.
Arsenal dey unbeaten in their last four Premier League games against Brighton, with two wins and two draws. For 2024–25 season, both league meetings end 1-1.
For the first game, Kai Havertz score late for first half before controversial red card for Declan Rice allow Joao Pedro equalise. For the return leg at Amex Stadium early the next year, na Joao Pedro again rescue point for Brighton.
Brighton enter this match sitting comfortably for mid-table and enjoying relatively stable season under Fabian Hurzeler. Dem dey show quality sometimes, but consistency never reach level wey go allow dem challenge top teams.
The Seagulls dey winless in their last four league matches — their longest run without win since five-game spell between March and April last season. Still, dem don lose only two of their last eight matches, even though dem don almost reach one month without victory.
For their last match, Brighton draw 0-0 with promoted Sunderland for Amex Stadium. Since dem enter Premier League for 2017, no team don record more 0-0 draws pass Brighton.
That draw also mean say Brighton don fail to score before half-time for 12 of their 17 league matches this season — worst record for the division.
Despite not scoring for their last two games, Brighton never go three straight league matches without goal since January 2024. Plus, anytime dem score for Emirates, dem don always collect point — three wins and two draws.
Brighton attacking struggles clear for everybody to see. Dem don score more than two goals in a match just three times this season and don score only one goal across their last three league games.
Against Sunderland, Brighton field the youngest starting XI of any Premier League game this season, with average age of 23 years. Their manager Hurzeler, aged 32, na the youngest manager for the league.
Same match also see the oldest player for the 2025–26 season, as James Milner come off bench at 39 years old.
Team News
Mikel Arteta likely go rotate him squad because just three days separate this match from Tuesday EFL Cup win over Crystal Palace, where Arsenal make eight changes from the Everton win.
Piero Hincapie miss that cup match after injury against Everton, but he fit return this weekend. Gabriel Martinelli, wey shine well for first half against Palace, come off with knock and get replaced early by Leandro Trossard.
Goalkeeper David Raya go return to starting lineup and set to make him 150th Premier League appearance for Arsenal. Since him debut for Brentford in August 2021, na him don keep pass any other keeper clean sheets.
Arteta expected to recall Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to midfield, while Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres go likely start as manager dey manage squad carefully due to injuries.
However, Arsenal go miss Gabriel Magalhaes, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Kai Havertz and young talent Max Dowman. Hincapie still dey doubt for fitness.
For Brighton, Hurzeler dey hope Danny Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke fit return after missing Sunderland game. Lewis Dunk and Diego Gomez return from suspension, while Mats Wieffer go get late fitness check.
Still, Brighton get long injury list. Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster dey out with ACL injuries, Solly March still dey recover, and Carlos Baleba dey away with Cameroon for AFCON.
Possible Starting Lineups
Arsenal possible XI:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Brighton possible XI:
Verbruggen; Wieffer, Veltman, Dunk, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gomez, Gruda; Mitoma, Rutter, Minteh
Prediction
We say: Arsenal 3-0 Brighton
Even though Arsenal don struggle small for goals recently, their performance against Crystal Palace show clear improvement after their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.
If dem fit create chances like dem do for that EFL Cup match, Arsenal get enough quality to beat Brighton and maintain pressure for Premier League title race.