Mikel Arteta is confident his Arsenal team can carry the efficiency shown in their win over Aston Villa into their meeting with Brighton on Saturday. (More Football News)
The Gunners maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 win at Villa Park but had to wea🥀ther a storm in the East Midlands.
Arsenal managed nine shots in the conte𒀰st to Vill🍎a's 11, but Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey's strikes ensured they exacted revenge on Unai Emery's side.
Despite their unusual lack of threat in front of goal, Arteta insisted that his players' efficiency in front🌳 of goal has added another string to their bow for the new campaign.
"Last 🅷year, I think we generated more, obviously because of the context of the game when they scored first," Arteta said.
"Today they did sometಞhing a little bit different to what we expected, especially i🦩n the first phase of the build-up in the way they behave.
"But this is what we have to do, you know, again𝓰st any formation, any opponent, any behaviour that we find to be a threat in many areas, and that's a big compliment for the team.”
Meanwhile, Brighton were involved in EFL Cup action on Tuesday night, cru꧋ising into the next round with a comfortable 4-0 win 🍬over Crawley Town.
Simon Adingra, Jeremy Sarmiento, Adam Webster and Mark O’Mahony were on the scoresheet to ensure their winning start rolled on under new b♕oss Fabian Hurzeler.
The Seagulls are one of four♛ teams who have won their ♔first two Premier League games of the season, with Hurzeler only the fourth manager to do so for Brighton.
And the 31-year-old believes their midweek run-out against Crawley provided some cha✤llenges that will help his side improve ahead of their trip to the Emira﷽tes.
&🔯quot;You h💯ave to win tough games like this which we did," Hurzeler said.
"I experieꦐnced a lot of cup games in Germany, and I know how di🃏fficult it is to play against a team that comes from a lower league.
"I think they had nothing to lose, they had a lot to win. So, in the end, we are happy about the result but we will try to keep improving and try to play be🐻tter than today.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka has continued where he left off from last c♑ampaign and has now been involved in 17 goals in his last 19 Premier League outings for the Gunners (12🦩 goals and five assists).
Saka notched assists agai♈nst Wolves and Aston Villa, and could become the second player after Thierry Henry in 2004-05 to assist a goal in the first three games of a top flight season for Ar🎃senal.
Brighton – Danny Welbeck
Danny⭕ Welbeck has already notched a goal against one of his🔯 former employers this season, and will be looking to strike against Arsenal upon his return to North London.
Welbeck is looking to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time since January 2014, while the last player to score in each of Brighton’s first three league games in a single campaign was Nicky Forster in 2008๊-09.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Despite Brighton's impressive start to the season, Arsenal are c🔜onsidered the overriding favourites, winning 69.8% of Opta's data-led simulations, with the Seagulls given a 12.3% chance of emerging victorious at the Emirates.
The Gunners have won three of their last four Premier League games against Brighton (L1),ꩲ as many as they had in their first 10 against them beforehand (D3 L4).
Arteta's side have also triumphed in their last eight league games since a 2-0 hom🎶e defeat to Aston Villa in April, last winning nine in a row between January and March 2004.
Victory for Arsenal would see them win their opening three Premier League games in a season for a second time under Arteta (also 2022-23), which would be as many times as they did so prior to his 🐓arrival as manager (in 2003-04 and 2004-05 under Arsene Wenger).
Brighton have won thre𝓀e of their seven Premier League away games against Arsenal (D1 L3). They’re one of just three teams 💧to have won more or as many visits to the Emirates as they’ve lost in the competition, along with Manchester City (W7 L6) and Swansea City (W3 L3).
For the third time in the🎶 last fꦉour seasons, Brighton have won their opening two Premier League matches. The Seagulls haven’t won their opening three league games in a season since 2011-12 in the Championship.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 69.8%
Draw – 17%
Brighton – 13.2%
