Arsenal’s EFL Cup campaign continues tonight at the Emirates as Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners welcome Brighton — a fixture that always promises goals, transitions, and plenty of tactical chess. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 across all competitions, and though Arteta rotates for domestic cups, he’s not taking this one lightly. For Brighton and Fabian Hürzeler, it’s a test of system resilience against one of England’s most structured sides.

 

Form and Context

 

The Gunners have been ruthless lately — seven straight wins, five clean sheets, and control in all thirds of the pitch. Even with injuries to key names like Martinelli, Havertz, and Odegaard, the rhythm remains intact. Declan Rice anchors midfield dominance, while Leandro Trossard and Victor Gyökeres have turned Arsenal’s attack into a high-efficiency machine.

 

Brighton, on the other hand, remain a chaos team — thrilling, expansive, but inconsistent. A 4–2 defeat at Old Trafford exposed their defensive openness, but a 6–0 thrashing of Barnsley earlier in the cup reminded everyone of their attacking ceiling. They average 2.4 goals per game across all comps in October — yet also concede nearly 1.8.

 

In their last five meetings with Arsenal, the Seagulls have scored in all five and even dumped the Gunners out of this competition in 2022. Revenge might be on Arteta’s mind.

 

 

Key Players and Tactical Shape

 

Arsenal

Trossard has been a revelation, registering 3 goals from 2.1 xG across his last 5 starts. Victor Gyökeres, fresh off his move from Sporting, has added pure presence — 4 goals in 4 games, bullying centre-backs with intelligent runs. Declan Rice’s shield role remains essential: he’s averaging 9.3 ball recoveries per game, keeping Arsenal compact in transitions. Young Ethan Nwaneri has become a fan-favourite super-sub, offering creativity and flair off the bench.

 

Brighton

Danny Welbeck still leads their line, with 5 goals in 8 appearances and a 0.7 xG/90 average. Diego Gómez’s emergence — 4 goals in 2 EFL Cup games — gives Hürzeler another scoring outlet. Defensively, captain Lewis Dunk and Igor Júlio will need their best night to contain Arsenal’s movement-heavy front line.

 

Arteta’s tactical structure (3-2-5 in attack) allows fluid rotations between Trossard, Eze, and Gyökeres — pinning full-backs and opening channels for overlapping runs. Brighton’s high-risk 4-2-3-1 presses aggressively, but it leaves gaps between lines, which Arsenal’s midfield thrives on. Expect Brighton to control early phases but Arsenal to grow into dominance through width and transitions.

 

 

DrGambling Betting Angle

 

This fixture screams “goals both ways.” Seven of the last eight Arsenal vs Brighton games have hit over 2.5 goals, and both teams have scored in six of those. Arsenal’s xG differential at home (+1.6 avg) makes them tough to fade, but Brighton’s front line still carries upset potential.

 

Value picks:

 

1. Over 2.5 goals

2. Both Teams To Score: Yes @ 1.80

3. Anytime Goalscorer: Victor Gyökeres

4. Arsenal to Win & Over 2.5

 

Brighton’s Cup form makes them a threat, but Arsenal’s tactical maturity and bench depth edge them here.