Tim Stillman's Brighton Preview

On Sunday Arsenal will take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Emirates Stadium. Brighton have stripped their tactics right back to basics in recent weeks. They have been unabashedly happy to draw their way over the finishing line and keep Cardiff in the relegation mire. Spurs needed an 88th minute piledriver from Chrstian Eriksen to beat Chris Hughton’s side last week and I think Arsenal will be in for a similarly attritional match on Sunday.

3 consecutive league defeats means the Europa League is Arsenal’s most viable avenue back into the Champions League- but not their only one. I don’t concur that the Gunners need to make a hard choice between their twin objectives at this stage. They can box clever with their team selection- the likes of Monreal, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan and Torreira did not start on Thursday and they need only play one of their strikers from the start.

There is no need for Emery to be entirely defeatist about Arsenal’s top 4 chances because his side have a very good chance of finishing in the top four with two victories. I don’t think, at this late stage of the season, Arsenal can or should start picking and choosing the games that they want to win. When minds are tired, consistent focus can be a good ally. It would be very disappointing if Emery decides that a 2 point gap to a Chelsea side who have been no better than Arsenal in recent weeks was insurmountable. 

Gentle rotation is desirable, hopping in and out of the end of season pressure cooker is a difficult trick to pull. If the Gunners do make it to Baku, they will have two and a half weeks between the Burnley game at Turf Moor and the Europa League Final in Baku, plenty of time to rest weary legs and refocus minds. While both targets are achievable, Arsenal shouldn’t compromise on either- that would be defeatist and defeatism is not a good look in May.