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Arsenal welcomes Brighton to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday as the Gunners look to keep their slim chances of making the top four intact.
Unai Emery’s men endured a wretched April in the Premier League as they lost three consecutive league games for the first time under the Spaniard’s watch. The toothless defeat to Crystal Palace at home was followed up by equally dire displays away to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.
However, the Gunners come into the game upbeat after their mid-week European triumph over Valencia. Though they were far from their best, they won the crucial moments and eventually succeeded in putting three past the Los Ches.
Brighton, on the other hand, have been poor for the entirety of 2019 and are now embroiled in a relegation scrap many thought they’d avoided at the turn of the year. Yet, a combination of injuries and abysmal performances has left them flirting perilously with the drop zone.
At the moment, the Seagulls enjoy a four-point lead over Cardiff City, who languish in 18th. However, if the Bluebirds win against Crystal Palace on Saturday, the gap could be trimmed down to a solitary point with the onus on Chris Hughton’s charges to secure a spot in the Premier League next term.
Moreover, the game represents the final opportunity for Arsenal to remain in contention for the 2019-20 Champions League via the Premier League route. Only a couple of points separate the Gunners and Chelsea in fourth currently yet a defeat would completely deflate whatever hopes the former has of finishing in the top four.
Kick off Information
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Date: 5th May, 2019
Time: 16:30 (Local Time), 21:00 (IST)
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Where to watch: Star Sports Network
Form Guide
Last five competitive matches (Most recent first)
Arsenal: W-L-L-L-W
Brighton: D-L-D-L-L
Head to Head
Arsenal: 12 wins
Brighton: 3 wins
Draw: 3 draws
Stats of the Day
Arsenal has not lost four consecutive Premier League games since March 1995 when they did so under the tutelage of Stewart Houston.
No south coast English team has ever won an away game at Arsenal in the Premier League. The teams have tried on 32 occasions but have lost 25 of them while drawing 7.
Player to watch out for
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette has come off age this season in the Premier League and has been outstanding for the Gunners. The Frenchman has notched up 13 league goals through the course of the campaign while he has also bagged 8 assists. Thus, indicating that the striker has become a vital component of Arsenal’s attacking machine.
Moreover, he arrives on Sunday on the back of a scintillating display against Valencia in the Europa League, where he scored two and could have had at least a couple more.
Thus, the game against Brighton comes at the right time for the Frenchman to keep his rich vein of form going and potentially power Arsenal to the top four.
