"This is going to be a much tougher game" - Chris Sutton makes score prediction for Brighton vs Arsenal
Chris Sutton has predicted a narrow win for Arsenal in their upcoming Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (April 6).
The Gunners come into this game on the back of a 2-0 league win at home against Luton Town. They cruised to a rather comfortable win against the Hatters, restricting them to just one shot on target and 41% possession.
However, according to Sutton, the match against Brighton could be a much tougher affair. The Seagulls sit ninth in the table with 43 points and have already beaten the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the league this season.
Giving his prediction for the match, Sutton wrote in his BBC column:
"This is going to be a much tougher game [than the one vs Luton Town] because we know Brighton have got that ability, on any given day, to produce a really outstanding performance. I still expect Arsenal to win, though, helped by how good their defence is."
Praising Arsenal's defense, the former Chelsea striker added:
"Gabriel and William Saliba have been absolutely phenomenal and have been the Premier League's outstanding centre-half partnership this season."
Arsenal sit second in the table with 68 points from 30 matches, trailing Liverpool by just two points. The Gunners also boast the best defense in the league, conceding just 24 times this season.
Mikel Arteta speaks on what Arsenal need to do win the league
Mikel Arteta has told his team to win more matches if they want to beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the Premier League title.
Last season, the Gunners led the table for a record 248 days before losing the Premier League crown to Manchester City by five points. With just eight matches left in the current campaign, Arteta's side know they have another chance to end their two-decade-long wait for a league title.
Speaking on what he thinks his team should do to win the league, Arteta said at his latest pre-match press conference (via club's official website):
"Win more games! That’s what we have to do. We’re still not at the top and we have to transform that into winning and winning and winning, and it’s the only way to have the chance in the last game of the season to do it."
The first step in that direction would be to ensure that they beat Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex this weekend. The Gunners beat them 2-0 in the reverse fixture in December but won just once in their last five matches against Brighton before that result.