The merry-go-round of matches continues. Arsenal, after matches in the domestic league competition and the Champions League, are now waiting for a change in the EFL Cup, specifically the eighth round. 's minions Mikel Arteta's will take on ambitious Brighton at the Emirates Stadium tonight to advance to the next stage of the English Cup! Some of the quarter-finalists we already knew yesterday (Cardiff, Brentford and Fulham), all the others we will reveal today. As for Arsenal, more changes are expected in their line-up, but that shouldn't affect the quality or their performance. The Spanish manager let it be known in one of his pre-match press conferences that he wants to dominate the EFL Cup just like he does all other competitions. Let's go through all the important facts that are good to know before the cup clash.
Form
I will take a brief look at the current form, especially at Arsenal. Firstly I discussed it in my last blog, secondly teams in general haven't played us much since the last national break.
Arsenal
To follow up immediately, Arsenal after the last national team break in the space of almost one week he played three competitive matches and won all of them. First, the Gunners won the league at Fulham (1:0), then they beat Atlético Madrid at home in the Champions League (4:0) and at the weekend they beat Crystal Palace at home (1:0). The more observant of you will have noticed that Arsenal's defensive play has been particularly impressive, with three clean sheets in a row.
If I were to go more in depth, we'd find that it's Arsenal's winning streak even longer, namely a seven-game. To make matters worse, in those seven games in which the Gunners were victorious, they scored only one single goal. This confirms my previous words that Mikel Arteta prides himself on rock solid defending. Overall, Arsenal's current (and long-term) form is excellent. Let's hope that the Gunners will continue in the same spirit.
Brighton
Brighton are not in any European competition this year, and thus has a looser schedule than his eight-final opponent. After the national break, Fabian Hürzeler's charges played „only“ two competitive matches (both in the Premier League). First, Brighton beat Newcastle 2-1 at home, but in the next round they were unable to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, to whom they lost 2-4. The balance of one win and one defeat from two matches can hardly be evaluated as anything other than average. I really don't dare to comment on the current form based on two games.
If I ignore the fact that the rhythm of the matches was disturbed by the national break, I would rate Brighton's current form as solid. In their last five competitive matches, the Amex Stadium players have won three times, drawn once and lost once. Overall, on balance, these statistics are positive for the Racks. However, the aspect of the repre break can't just be brushed off, and an assessment of current form unfortunately can't be very detailed. In the longer term, Brighton remains behind expectations, because after nine rounds in the Premier League, he's with twelve points to 13th place.
Team and expected line-up
The cup match is the perfect opportunity for Mikel Arteta to shake up the line-up in a big way. Players who have appeared less on the pitch during the current season should get a chance to play. At the same time, this move is also reasonable from the point of view of the necessary rest of some key players. Most of them have played several difficult matches in a short period of time in recent days.
Kepa Arrizabalaga
And the very first position that is expected to change is the goalkeeper position. In the cup game. should appear between the three bars Kepa Arrizabalaga, who scored a clean sheet in his first start for Arsenal. Can he do it again today against a much stronger opponent?
Ben White
Ben White is still physically recovering from a lingering injury. However, he is slowly but surely starting to pick up minutes on the court. I think that will replace the busy Jurriën Timber in today's cup match in the starting line-up and Mikel Arteta kills two birds with one stone. Ben White will be one step closer to full fitness again and Jurriën Timber will enjoy a well-deserved rest.
Cristhian Mosquera
Young Spanish stopper Cristhian Mosquera has been on the pitch more than he probably expected since his arrival in north London. He will get another chance in the starting lineup today, because of the injury William Saliba will be missing. Considering Mosquera's performances in England, I have no doubt that he will replace the French defender in the line-up.
Piero Hincapié
First start since the beginning of the match he could have scored the jersey with a cannon on his chest Piero Hincapié. He also struggled with injury after his arrival at Arsenal, but should be fully fit now. He got his first few minutes in the English league at the weekend, so it is suggested that he will be on the pitch from the opening whistle today. A cup game against a Premier League opponent is the perfect opportunity to get fully acquainted with English football.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Myles Lewis-Skelly played last week fantastic game against Atlético Madrid, but he started on the bench against Crystal Palace at the weekend. He didn't see the pitch until the last few minutes, so he should be rested and ready to play his full quota of minutes today against Brighton. In addition, Riccardo Calafiori picked up some cuts from the Crystal Palace game, so the England teenager's start should be virtually certain.
Martín Zubimendi
Here I was hesitating over whether Mikel Arteta would opt for Martin Zubimendi or Declan Rice. I finally decided that the more likely option is the Spanish representative. Why? Precisely because of his nationality, or rather because of his knowledge of Spanish. If indeed Mosquera - Hincapié will be the starting midfielder, so a Spanish-speaking Zubimendi makes more sense for me at the point guard position. It may seem like a small thing, but both stoppers have only been in England for a short time and I doubt their English is at a perfect level. Even such a detail can make a difference in a match.
Christian Nørgaard
A young and relatively inexperienced roster needs to be balanced with more experienced players, which is why I think in the middle of the midfield will start today Christian Nørgaard. The Danish international has done a lot not only in English football, and so he's the perfect choice for tonight's game. Declan Rice, despite the fact that he should be part of the nomination, has a minor injury from the game against Crystal Palace, so he will sit among the substitutes. Christian Nørgaard's start is almost a certainty in my opinion.
Ethan Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri is not getting as much space on the field this season as he did last season, but he shouldn't miss the starting lineup against Brighton. I even think the English youngster is going to start today in his preferred position in the middle of the field, where he will have a little more freedom than on the edge of the backup. The fact that Nwaneri is starting less so far is not a question of his quality, but rather of the huge competition and hierarchy in the team. It is well to remember that the young Englishman is still only eighteen years of age.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka was, in the words of Mikel Arteta. was ill before the Crystal Palace game and didn't train as well as he needed to. That's also why he didn't play the whole game on Sunday. He should be fully fit now, which is why I think he will start against Brighton from the first minute. The reason is also the fact that no one else from the „leadership group“ is quite likely to play from the start, so Saka's presence on the pitch is important from that point of view as well. If the game goes according to Mikel Arteta's expectations, Saku could be replaced on the field during the second half by youngster Max Dowman..
Leandro Trossard
On the left flank, the in the absence of Gabriel Martinelli, there should theoretically be nothing to discuss this time. He'll most likely face his former employer in this position Leandro Trossard. Another option could be Eberechi Eze, but I expect him to start on the bench.
Mikel Merino
Mikel Merino last season he filled in at the point when Havertz and Jesus were injured and he didn't do badly at all. That's why he became a realistic option at the top of the offense this season. We have even seen the Spanish footballer in attack once before, coincidentally in an EFL Cup match against Port Vale. Viktor Gyökeres has played a lot in recent weeks, and so the option with Merino on the tip is an option.
Substitutes
Bench of substitutes should be really stellar this time. Ready to step in will be David Raya, Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurriën Timber, Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Max Dowman and Viktor Gyökeres. If I'm counting correctly, there is still one vacancy among the substitutes, which could be filled by one of the youngsters from the academy in case of numerous absences.
I already lightly touched on this a little while ago, so I'll just follow up. There are quite a few players on Arsenal's sick list at the moment and although some of them may not have serious and long-term injuries, they will not be ready for the match against Brighton. The return to the line-up of one of the four Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke and Martin Ødegaard is not expected. On top of that, minor injuries from the Crystal Palace game William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli. Both players will also be missing from the squad against Brighton. Saliba and Martinelli, according to initial information, should have minor health problems.
About the opponent
I always praised Brighton when Roberto De Zerbi was still in charge.. Although his successor, Fabian Hürzeler, is not my favourite, I have to admit that the work of the Italian manager was followed up perfectly. Despite the fact that there are still flaws in some aspects of Brighton's game, I like their style of play. Brighton try to play straightforward offensive football with construction from their own goal. On top of that. the club relies on young and talented players, which he is not afraid to use in important matches despite his young age. That's what the Racks management pays off in the transfer market, because they've been able to sell players at a huge profit for a long time. A good example is the transfer of our Ben White, who went to Arsenal from Brighton. The English defender came to Brighton in the youth categories as a free agent. A few years later, he moved to north London for £50 million. That's a decent profit, don't you think?
Let's move on to the players. The key players of the team are Bart Vertbruggen, Lewis Dunk, Carlos Baleba, Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck, which I'll get to in a moment. Of course, Brighton have a number of other interesting footballers, especially youngsters. I can mention names like Jack Hinshelwood, Yasin Ayari, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio Rutter. I don't want to forget one more icon in the Racks team, but he definitely cannot be classified as a youngster. On the contrary. James Milnes, who made his Premier League debut before some of his teammates were even born (10 November 2002), will celebrate his 40th birthday in January. One little interesting fact about the English all-rounder. Milner currently has 645 starts in the Premier League and he is only 8 or 9 games away from becoming the player with the highest number of starts in the English top flight. The record is held by Gareth Barry with 653 starts.
Arsenal footprint
There is also one name in the Brighton squad that is linked to Arsenal, Danny Welbeck. The English striker has spent quite a significant part of his career in north London. Specifically He wore the Arsenal jersey between 2014 and 2019. After his Arsenal contract expired, he moved to Watford, where he spent only one season. From Watford he headed to Brighton before the 2020/2021 season, where he has been ever since. Although Welbeck can be classed as a veteran at almost thirty-five years of age, it is not just his goals that still make him an asset to the team. Last season in the Premier League he scored 10 goals (his career high), and this year he's on track for even better numbers. He has scored 5 goals in nine rounds.
Match
The favourite of the match is undoubtedly the home team Gunners. The form, quality and width of the squad, the home environment all play into the hands of the North London team. Although Mikel Arteta certainly doesn't send the strongest possible lineup to the game and the game could be a bit more even, so Arsenal should be able to handle their opponent from the south of England. Arsenal have such a quality team that even the players in the wider squad have tremendous quality. Whether it's experienced footballers like Ben White and Mikel Merino or talented youngsters like Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly or Cristhian Mosquera.
So what to expect from the match itself? Arsenal should be in the game despite significant changes to the starting line-up Dominate. However, I don't think we will see the typical picture of a game where the Gunners pin their opponent on the whitewash. The game could be more lively this time around with the play spilling more from one side to the other. Brighton, who with a few exceptions have a very young team, are known for attractive offensive football, which should only benefit the game itself. I believe we are in for a spectacular game in the EFL Cup round of 16 at the Emirates Stadium, with a happier ending for the home side. I predict Arsenal to win 2:1.
Next match
Mikel Arteta's men will play their next game in the Premier League at Turf Moor against Burnley. After three competitive matches at the Emirates Stadium in a row, Arsenal will now head to the opponent's ground. The game against is scheduled for Saturday 1st of November 2025 from 16:00 (CET).
See you next time, I'll look forward to it!
You might be interested in
- Third London derby in a row, Arsenal welcome Crystal Palace
- A cracking battle in north London as Arsenal host Atlético Madrid
- Gunners take on Craven Cottage after the international break
- London derby at the Emirates, Arsenal vs West Ham
- Arsenal welcome Greek side Olympiakos at the Emirates
Editor, administrator and editor of the True Gunner Diary website, but above all a devoted Arsenal fan. I started with sports articles at the Tipsport bookmaker, where I have published more than 100 blogs. If you want to know more about me, check out the section of the same name here on the site.