Overview
Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal's explosive start to the new season will continue to bring success when they host Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners extended their lead to four points in the Premier League table last weekend with second-placed Chelsea thanks to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze scored Arsenal's first goal in the top flight of England, with a beautiful shot after a free kick by Declan Rice.
Arsenal have been showing outstanding efficiency in set-pieces this season. Of their total 16 Premier League goals, 11 have come from the dead - accounting for 69%, the highest rate by a team in a Premier League season.
Arteta's side also continued to show their excellent form, winning all three of their first UEFA Champions League games, giving them a perfect start to the 2025-2026 campaign.
Now, Arsenal will return to the Carabao Cup arena, with the match against Brighton at Emirates Stadium. Before that, the "Gunners" easily defeated Port Vale in the previous round with a score of 2-0, thanks to goals from Eze and Leandro Trossard.
However, Arsenal have not had an impressive record when facing Premier League teams in this tournament. They have lost 7 of their last 10 home matches against opponents in the same division. Since the 2016-17 season, Arsenal have stopped every time they meet Premier League teams in the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners last won the Carabao Cup in the 1992-93 season, while last season they were eliminated in the semi-finals after a defeat to Newcastle, who later won the championship.
However, the current streak of form has given Arsenal a lot of hope. Arteta's side have won seven consecutive games in all competitions, including a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace and an impressive performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Brighton are enjoying a wonderful journey in the Carabao Cup this season. After defeating Oxford United and Barnsley with a score of 6-0, the "Seagulls" became the first team in the history of the tournament to win 2 consecutive matches with a difference of at least 6 goals.
That impressive scoring record has helped Brighton advance to the quarter-finals with 13 goals, the number that the Premier League team most recently achieved before the quarter-finals was Arsenal in 2012-2013.
The standout in Brighton's explosive run is Diego Gomez. The 22-year-old striker has scored five goals in just two league appearances, including a poker (4) against Barnsley. He became the first player to score four times in an away match in the Carabao Cup since Julio Baptista (Arsenal) against Liverpool in 1,2007.
However, Fabian Hurzeler's team just suffered a 2-4 defeat to a resurgent Manchester United. Although Danny Welbeck and Charalampos Kostoulas scored late, Brighton's loose defense prevented them from saving the match.
The defeat at Old Trafford ended Brighton's 5-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. Including impressive victories over Chelsea and Newcastle in the Premier League.
Head-to-head record
Brighton have failed to win in their last four meetings with Arsenal in all competitions (D2 L2) since a 3-0 win in the Premier League in May 2023 under Roberto De Zerbi.
Both of the previous season's meetings between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw, although Declan Rice was sent off right after the break in the Emirates.
That run of results has seen Arsenal win just one of their last five home games against Brighton in all competitions, losing three and drawing one.
The Gunners' disappointing run against the southern coast also included a 1-3 defeat in the third round of the Carabao Cup in the 2022-23 season.
Score prediction: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
The match between Arsenal and Brighton takes place at 2:45 am on October 30 (Vietnam time).
