We're back in Women's Super League action this Sunday with a trip to Broadfield Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion.
Off the back of last weekend's clash against Chelsea, where our Gunners were unlucky not to pick up the three points, a good result against the Seagulls is vital to keep the WSL title in sight as we tick into February.
Last time around
Access All Areas | Arsenal 4-0 Brighton | WSL opener
We've already faced the Seagulls this season, kicking off our 2022/23 WSL campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win at Meadow Park. It was a calamitous start for Brighton as Emma Kullberg was sent off within the opening ten minutes but we didn't break through their disciplined backline until the half-hour mark.
Captain Kim Little opened the scoring and Stina Blackstenius doubled our advantage in the second half, before an electric Beth Mead bagged two more on her triumphant return from the Euros.
A new boss for the Seagulls
There's a new figure in the Brighton dugout since our last meeting, however. Legendary manager Hope Powell, who spent five years as the Seagulls' coach, stepped down in October to be eventually replaced by ex-Bayern Munich boss, Jens Scheuer in December.
The German has only been in charge for two matches - a 3-0 loss to Leicester City and a Conti Cup clash with West Ham - but he'll be looking to swiftly turn things around for a Brighton side currently hovering second-from-bottom in the WSL table.
Another fresh addition to Brighton is a familiar one for us: goalkeeper Lydia Williams signed from Paris Saint-Germain this week, having said goodbye to the Gunners in July 2022.
Team news
January additions Kathrine Kuhl, Victoria Pelova, Gio Queiroz, and Sabrina D'Angelo were all named in Eidevall's squad to face Chelsea. While none of our new Gunners made an appearance last weekend, there's a distinct possibility that Sunday could bring some debuts.
There are no new reported injuries to the squad.
What the managers say
Eidevall on Brighton: "They've played two games and they've played two different formations in those games, so they're keeping us guessing. The main focus is ourselves, of course. but there are some things we need to take into account.
"You can see that it's a really hard-working Brighton team and that’s worked well in the games they’ve played so far. So we know it's going to be a tough challenge going there and we're going to do our best." - read every word of Eidevall's pre-Brighton presser
Jens Scheuer on us: "Arsenal is one of the easiest games in the season because no one expects a win. But it's possible to win these games and I'm sure if we bring 100% of our performance from [their West Ham game], we will have a chance. With a little bit of luck on our side, maybe we can steal a point."
How to watch
We kick off at Broadfield Stadium at 6:45pm (UK time) on Sunday, and you can watch along at home on Sky Sports. Build-up coverage begins at 6:30pm on Sky Sports Football.
Facts and stats
- Brighton have lost all nine of their WSL matches against us, scoring two goals and conceding 32. Only Everton against Man City (13 games, 13 defeats) have faced an opponent as many as 10 times and never picked up a single point in the WSL
- We have won all four of our away WSL fixtures against Brighton, keeping a clean sheet in every victory. No side has ever played away against another five times in the WSL without conceding a goal
- Brighton have conceded 32 goals from nine league matches this season – only Bristol City in 2020-21 have ever conceded more at this stage of a WSL campaign (39)
- We have won our last eight away matches in the WSL – only Manchester City between July 2016 and January 2018 have won more consecutive away games in the competition (12 in a row)
- Manuela Zinsberger has been involved in 17 sequences of play that have ended with a shot this season, the most of any goalkeeper in the league. She has also conceded the joint-fewest goals (6)
- Meanwhile, Stina Blackstenius has scored in both of her WSL appearances against the Seagulls, netting three goals. This is the most she’s scored against any WSL opponent
Copyright 2023 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
