Here we are, guys and gals. Match day 30 and with the managers having both said their piece ahead of this game, all that’s left to do is have the football do the talking tonight.

As I said yesterday in a little review and look at Brighton, this is going to be really tough. With all due respect to the other teams we have to play, given that this one is away as well and the style of Brighton, this will be the toughest one bar that match-up at The Etihad. If we can get through tonight with three points to take back to London, that will be massive.

Arteta has leant in to the ‘enjoy the ride’ and ‘fun bus’ narratives, but tonight will be the same as the weekend, I suspect. I think we’re going to suffer at points, maybe even at the final whistle, but if these Arsenal players really want to get over the line more than anything else, they have to find a way to overcome Huerzeler’s Brighton. They have to be better than we were both home and away last season, with the two draws we got. And they’re going to have to do it with Chris Kavanagh as the ref. Something dodgy is going down tonight. Need I remind you that he was the guy who failed to spot a clear pen inside the box in the FA Cup game between Villa and Newcastle? That was just one of a string of incompetent decisions that night, but it’s the one from last season against this very team in which his most heinous crime was committed. Remember the “I’ve got no choice! I have to send him off” decision when Rice was booted by Veltman and then got sent off? Yeah, that was Kavanagh.

For balance, I would point out that he has also referred us against Burnley, Liverpool and Bournemouth this season, which have appeared to have gone without incident, but his wrap sheet still has some uneasy reading on it.

The Brighton team news is as expected and Huerzeler confirmed that certain players just won’t start tonight, like Milner and possibly even Welbeck, although that one might not be as clear. Welbz loves a goal against us, so at some stage he will get mnutes and our centre back pairing will need to be mindful of that. They will replace Milner with Baleba, who will be there to break up play and win the ball, which means the expected battle with Eze will need to have Ebs delivering more than he did against Chelsea.

So, how will Arsenal line up? Well, the good news is that Rice appears to be ok, something that Arteta all but confirmed yesterday in his presser, so I’d expect us to go with this as a starting XI:

Raya

Timber   –   Saliba   –   Gabriel   –   Calafiori

Zubimendi

Eze   –   Rice

Saka   –   Gyokeres   –   Martinelli

I’ve switched out Hincapie because I suspect this was something that Arteta always had planned to avoid fatigue with the left backs, although the Ecuadorian’s form would suggest that it is a little harsh. He was good again on Chelsea, but Arteta has already admitted that there would be some rotation. The other option I toyed with was Mosquera at right back. That could very well happen. The only questrion si around who will be better to try to keep Mitoma quiet. He wasn’t available for the game at The Emirates, but I feel like he always has a decent game against us, so we need the best one-on-one defender against him and his pace. That feels like Timber to start, but I would absolutely be bringing him off in the second half as he invariably tires. It’s a shame White isn’t fit, but he’s also been given the runaround by Mitoma before. He’s played 20 games and has two goals and one assist, so not exactly prolific, but much like Ebs loves a game against the Scum, it feels like Mitoma is always up for it against us.

In midfield, we’ve all said that Zubi looks fatigued, but I just don’t think Arteta is popping Norgaard in there at this stage. I’d like to see another job share in the second half, of course, but I think Arteta will tell Zubi his rest is coming after this game against Mansfield at the weekend, so I expect the Spaniard to start. And the news about Rice (and also Havertz, who is fit and has travelled with the squad) means he goes in there, probably with Eze, given that Odegaard is out. And we need to see more from Ebs tonight. He needs to pick up those positions closer to Big Vik, and he needs to feed him. Brighton will play a higher line than most teams, especially at home, so there will be space to run in behind, which is why I am hoping that Martinelli plays too. There’s a narrative developing that Martinelli and Gyokeres can’t play with each other because they take up similar positions. I want that dispelled tonight, and I want us getting balls in behind when there is green grass to run into because of Brighton’s press.

We simply MUST see more from our attacking line. It hasn’t been good enough, Tottenham aside, and when you look at the fact Saka, Trossard and Martinelli haven’t scored in ages in the league, I want one of those guys to step up and bag a goal this evening. At least. I suspect we might need two goals, because I do think we will concede, given our back line has been more shaky in 2026, so I think to win this, we’ll probably need two or three. That means the forwards need to do their business.

This is going to be nerve-racking. It’s going to be fraught. But these players must recognise the opportunity and grasp for tyhis moment. Take your chances, go for the win, make us all happy. Mikel Arteta has the bench to dip into as and when he needs it, which I think should include Havertz and hopefully he can also make an impact if others are not delivering (I’m wondering if there’s a spot alongside Big Vik, as opposed to instead of, perhaps?), so we need to show the kind of fight that got us into this position.

I’ll be back, as always, tomorrow for a debrief/post-mortem. Catch you all then.