Overview
Arsenal are aiming for a away game against Brighton with the hope that their improved away goals from the beginning of the year will help them win all 3 important points in the Premier League.
The 2-1 victory over Chelsea last weekend helped Arsenal maintain a 5-point gap with Manchester City - who still have one match to play. In the sprint stage, away performance can become a decisive factor.
From August to December last year, Arsenal only scored 11 goals in 9 away matches (an average of 1.2 goals/match). However, since the beginning of the year, they have scored 14 goals in 6 away trips, reaching an average of 2.3 goals/match - almost double the previous period.
Another point of support for Mikel Arteta's team is the ability to take advantage of set pieces. In 20 times leading 1-0 in the Premier League this season, up to 13 opening goals came from corner kicks or penalties - the highest achievement ever recorded in a Premier League season.
Arsenal also has a knack for evening matches. They are unbeaten in the last 19 Premier League matches taking place after 7:00 PM (local time), since the 0-2 defeat to West Ham in December 2023. However, all 3 evening matches in 2026 ended in a draw, against Liverpool, Brentford and Wolves.
Viktor Gyokeres' away form is also a highlight. The Swedish striker has participated in 6 goals in the last 7 away matches (5 goals, 1 assist), after only having 2 goals in his first 12 away games for the club.
Recent head-to-head history has slightly leaned towards Arsenal. In the last 9 encounters in the Premier League, the home team has only won 2 matches (3 draws, 4 wins for the away team). Arsenal won 2-1 in the first leg. The last time both matches in the season belonged to the home team was in the 2017-2018 season.
However, Brighton is in high form after two consecutive victories against Brentford and Nottingham Forest. They aim for a third consecutive victory for the first time since May last year. Notably, Brighton has won 2/4 of their most recent home matches against the leading team (1 draw, 1 loss), even though those two victories came when the opponent had officially won the championship.
Danny Welbeck continues to be Brighton's attacking point. The goal against Forest raised his total goals to 10 this season - equaling his best career record in the Premier League. If he scores one more goal, Welbeck will become the third player to score more than 10 goals/season at the age of 35 or older, after Gary McAllister and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Regarding the force, Arsenal is worried about Declan Rice's condition after he left the field against Chelsea. Martin Odegaard and Ben White are still uncertain to recover in time. On Brighton's side, Yasin Ayari hopes to return in time, while Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas continue to be absent for a long time.
In the context of an increasingly tense championship race, Arsenal needs to maintain their away scoring momentum to overcome a Brighton that is full of confidence at Amex.
Head-to-head record
Arsenal once had an unsuccessful start at Amex Stadium in the Premier League when they lost two of their first three away games against Brighton and drew the remaining match.
However, the situation has changed significantly in recent years. Since the 2020-2021 season, Arsenal has been unbeaten in five consecutive away games at Amex (3 wins, 2 draws), showing better adaptation to the uncomfortable playing style of the Southern England team.
More broadly, in the last 11 encounters between the two teams in the Premier League, Brighton won 2, drew 3 and lost 6 against Arsenal. Notably, both victories of the "Turtle" in this period took place at the Emirates.
That means Brighton often shocks away from home more than when welcoming Arsenal at Amex. This is a detail that can bring more confidence to Mikel Arteta's team before the upcoming important trip.
Score prediction: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal
The match between Brighton and Arsenal takes place at 2:30 AM on March 5th (Vietnam time).
