Arsenal will be hosting Brighton at the Emirates for their second last Premier League game of the season. After bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur failed to get a result against Bournemouth, finishing 3rd is still a possibility for the Gunners with a win against Brighton.
After losing three consecutive Premier League games, Emery’s men will be hoping to finally win a game. With Brighton being guaranteed safety after Crystal Palace beat Cardiff, the North London club should have a relatively easier match.
Dropping points against Brighton should not be on the Menu if the Emirates club really dreams of finishing ahead of rivals. The biggest question however is whether Emery’s side still fancies a top-four finish.
Arsenal fans realize that their top four fate significantly lies with Chelsea’s games against Watford and Leicester. They will be hoping that the blues drop points but they know that their side must get maximum points in the remaining games.
This season the Gunners have been presented with several fine openings to secure top four finish but just like their rivals, they have been hesitant to make the prospects count.
However, with only two games to go several supporters still hope that there will be some opportunities and Emery’s men will be hoping for the same too. The tie against Brighton is the last home game this season and it will be an emotional one given the imminent departures of Aaron Ramsey and Petr Cech.
Thursday’s away fixture in Spain can also be a distraction to the manager and his players but the Gunners will need to focus on winning hoping that results elsewhere go their way. Chelsea host Watford more than an hour earlier and the outcome of this tie might hugely have an impact on how the North London club will perform. If the blues drop points then the Arsenal will have everything to play for.
Emery will be expected to tweak his team a little but no major changes should happen. In goal, Bernd Leno is an easy choice. With Ainsley Maitland-Niles out after his red card against Leicester City, it will be interesting to see who the manager prefers on the right back position.
Lucas Torreira started on the bench against Valencia, so he should start today at the center of the park tonight. Both Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan might also get a start after not making the first eleven in the midweek tie. It will be interesting to see if Emery starts both Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette upfront after their midweek heroics.
