The news that key Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is set to miss three months with a medial ligament injury was hardly the news many will have wanted to hear.
Granit Xhaka has been ruled out for three months with a significant injury to his medial knee ligament. #AFC
— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley_) September 29, 2021
Despite the divisiveness that still persists around the Swiss international, his central partnership with Thomas Partey remains the Gunners best duopoly in the center of the park, and that was very much on display when Arsenal ran out 3-1 winners against bitter rivals Tottenham in the North London Derby.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – MAY 20: Albert Sambi Lokonga of RSC Anderlecht during the Jupiler Pro League match between RSC Anderlecht and Club Brugge at Lotto Park on May 20, 2021 in Brussels, Belgium (Photo by Perry van de Leuvert/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
But the emergence of summer signing Sambi Lokonga as a viable starter under Mikel Arteta despite his age has seen the Belgian catapult up the selection chain as many felt the former RSC Anderlecht standout was merely a talented youngster with a long-term future at the club. He now is thrust into the limelight for a prolonged period of time alongside Partey as he has quickly pushed ahead of the likes of Mohamed Elneny.
A clash with Graham Potter‘s high-flying Brighton constitutes a tricky test for Arsenal despite their three-match win streak, especially with the Seagulls boasting a defensive record that only Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool can better.
How might Mikel Arteta set up his Arsenal side as they look to earn four wins on the spin? Here are three ways that Arsenal could line up against Brighton.
The standard 4-2-3-1
The usual deployment seen during the Mikel Arteta era, this maximizes the combined firepower and creativity that Arsenal can bring to bear at any given moment through a highly-effective front four. Lokonga’s ability to sit deep also unleashes Partey to hunt the Brighton supply lines while also covering for a marauding Tierney.
Arsenal in a 4-3-3
There has been talk of Ødegaard’s ability to play in a deeper role while Smith Rowe would remain at left wing to give that creative threat from wide areas, and this could be a match to give it a real go as three in midfield could also take advantage of a less than fully-fit Yves Bissouma.
Three at the back to match Brighton
Arteta has a habit of going with a three at the back deployment when he wants to match his opponent who sets themselves up similarly, and Arsenal could do worse than operating in the same way here. It would likely mean sacrificing one of Ødegaard or Smith Rowe, but nullifying the effectiveness of the Seagulls’ typical front-three of Neal Maupay, Leandro Trossard, and Danny Welbeck could end up being a key to three points.
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Liverpool FC | 6 | 11 | 14 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 6 | 11 | 13 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC | 6 | 10 | 13 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 6 | 8 | 13 |
| 5 | Everton FC | 6 | 5 | 13 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 7 | West Ham United | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| 9 | Brentford FC | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 10 | Arsenal FC | 6 | -5 | 9 |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 6 | -5 | 9 |
| 12 | Watford FC | 6 | -2 | 7 |
| 13 | Leicester City | 6 | -3 | 7 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 6 | -2 | 6 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 6 | -3 | 6 |
| 16 | Southampton FC | 6 | -3 | 4 |
| 17 | Newcastle United | 6 | -7 | 3 |
| 18 | Leeds United | 6 | -8 | 3 |
| 19 | Burnley FC | 6 | -6 | 2 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 6 | -14 | 0 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 5 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 5 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 4 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 3 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 3 |
| Lukaku, Romelu | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur | 3 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 3 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 3 |
| Greenwood, Mason | Manchester United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 2 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 0 | 3 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper, Liam | Leeds United | 0 | 3 |
| Etebo, Oghenekaro | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Skipp, Oliver | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | 3 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 0 | 1 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 0 | 2 |
| Gallagher, Conor | Crystal Palace | 0 | 2 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 2 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 0 | 2 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Gudmundsson, Johann | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 2 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Rudiger, Antonio | Chelsea FC | 0 | 2 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 3 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 2 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 2 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 2 |
| Pereira, Ricardo | Leicester City | 2 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 2 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 1 |
