Arsenal team news: Welbeck could return against former club

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Albion are back in Premier League action after their Europa League heroics.

Charlie Hanson

2023-12-16T14:05:00Z

Danny Welbeck is back in contention for Albion.

Albion will look to make it four games unbeaten as they take on Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, kick-off 2pm.

Team news

Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Danny Welbeck could play a part against his former club at The Emirates after recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered against Manchester City in October.

Albion's head coach said Welbeck "is available to come on the bench and play a part of the game" and added he has no fresh injury concerns following Thursday's historic win against Marseille. Jakub Moder missed that match due to not being named in our Europa League squad, but the 24-year-old midfielder is available again in the Premier League.

Our last meeting

Albion secured one of their greatest Premier League results in our last meeting with the Gunners, as we ran out 3-0 winners at the Emirates in May. Roberto De Zerbi’s team were a wounded animal after their 5-1 home defeat to Everton the week prior, with the Albion head coach saying after that match that we would see ‘the real’ Albion against the Gunners. That we did, as Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan all scored in the second half to secure a phenomenal result.

Player to watch

Bukayo Saka has scored five Premier League goals so far this campaign.

Arsenal academy graduate Bukayo Saka has been in scintillating for the table topping Gunners. Five goals and seven assists in 15 Premier League matches makes him Arsenal’s most threatening outlet, as they look to better their second place finish last season. In total, the England international has made 201 appearances for the Mikel Arteta’s team, scoring 46 and assisting 52 goals.

Stats and facts

Arsenal have lost their last three home games against Brighton in all competitions – only against Man City (7 between 2018 and 2023) have they lost more consecutively at the Emirates Stadium.

Brighton have won four of their seven away games against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium – it’s the highest win rate (57%) of any visiting English side at the ground since it opened in 2006.

The home side has won just two of the last 10 Premier League meetings between Arsenal and Brighton (D3 L5), with the Seagulls winning 2-1 at Amex Stadium in June 2020, and Arsenal winning 2-0 at the Emirates in May 2021.

Since losing 3-0 to Brighton in May, Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 home games in all competitions (W10 D2), scoring at least twice in 11 of those matches.

Brighton have scored in their last 32 Premier League games and conceded in each of their last 20. It’s their longest ever scoring streak in their league history, while it’s their joint longest run without a clean sheet (also 20 games between September 1947 and March 1948).

Brighton have conceded first in each of their last four Premier League games, their longest such run since a run of six in February/March 2022. However, they’ve gone on to lose just one of these last four matches (W2 D1).

Arsenal have only fallen behind at any stage in six Premier League games this season, fewer than any other side. They’ve avoided defeat in four of those matches (W2 D2), while they’ve not lost any game in which they’ve led this season (W11 D2).

Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka has been involved in 13 goals in his last 11 appearances at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions, scoring eight and assisting five. The only game in which he hasn’t registered a goal involvement in this run was in a 5-0 win over Sheffield United in October.

Martin Ødegaard turns 25 on the day of this game; the last Arsenal player to score on their birthday in a Premier League match was Mesut Özil against Swansea in October 2016. Against no side has Ødegaard been involved in more Premier League goals than he has against Brighton (4 – 2 goals, 2 assists).

Brighton’s Pascal Groß has been involved in five goals in his last four Premier League appearances, scoring one and assisting four. His assist for Simon Adingra’s goal against Burnley last time out was his 40th overall in the competition, the second German to reach that many after Mesut Özil (54).

Match officials

Referee: Tim Robinson.

Assistants: Eddie Smart, Nick Greenhalgh.

Fourth official: Darren Bond.

VAR: Paul Tierney.

Assistant VAR: Neil Davies.