Arsenal vs Brighton: Cup Night Frenzy, Injuries in Tow and a New Warrior Arrives

Match Preview

Arsenal are gearing up for a tough test tomorrow, Wednesday, as they face Brighton in the fourth round of the English League Cup.

The London club head into the tie with several fresh injuries weighing on their squad.

Spanish boss Mikel Arteta held a press conference today, emphasizing his aim to protect players from further injuries.

Asked about Ben White’s limited involvement of late after being a regular starter, he said the defender had sustained an injury that sidelined him for weeks, so we had to manage his load to avoid a relapse.

He refused to reveal his goalkeeping plans, specifically whether Kepa Arrizabalaga would start ahead of David Raya.

On the newly arrived winger, Piero Henkabi: “He’s a warrior with great physical attributes and brings a lot of heart to the group.”

He added that the Spaniard will be comfortable in central defense or on the flanks, and that Arsenal are helping him reach peak fitness so that, once there, he could raise the team's level.

When asked if the Carabao Cup is among his season objectives, Arteta replied that the next match is the priority and that this competition has not yielded many trophies in years, so they must start pursuing it from tomorrow.

Arsenal have won the competition only twice, in 1987 and 1993.

He also admitted rotating the Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres would be difficult given the forward-line injuries, with Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all sidelined, and Gabriel Martinelli joining them.

He did, however, confirm that Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori and England midfielder Declan Rice are ready, while Willian Saliba will be absent.

Squad News and the Cup Intent

A bright spell followed as Arsenal’s season took a positive turn in the league, despite rivals stumbling in the chase for the title.

Defending champions Liverpool lost 2-3 at Brentford, Manchester City fell 0-1 to Aston Villa, and Chelsea were beaten 1-2 by Sunderland.

Arsenal continued their solid form, beating Crystal Palace 1-0 to sit top alone, with 22 points from 7 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw.

They lead Bournemouth by four points, and remain six points ahead of Manchester City in the title race, with Liverpool seven points behind and Chelsea eight adrift.

Crucially, Arsenal sit six points clear of City (fifth), seven ahead of Liverpool (seventh), and eight in front of Chelsea (ninth).

Arsenal’s title bid continues, aiming to end a 21-year wait, as they distance themselves from their main rivals.

Head‑to‑head with the big teams has mostly gone their way in the early rounds, leaving Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as the remaining big tests.

In the opening clashes, Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0, then dipped with a 0-1 loss to Liverpool, before narrowly beating Newcastle United 2-1; that stretch yielded 7 points from 12.

Before facing Spurs and Chelsea in consecutive matches, Arsenal travel to promoted Burnley and Sunderland, then welcome the London rivals at the Emirates.

If the team can harvest maximal points from those four fixtures, they’ll position themselves firmly atop the title race early, gaining momentum for the second half of the season.

The calendar also looks favorable with two home games at the Emirates against Liverpool and Manchester United, and the same for Chelsea.

Notably, Arsenal won’t face too many daunting away tests against the tradition rivals, except for the two clashes with Tottenham and Manchester City, the latter scheduled in Round 33—five games from the end.

humor: Punchline 1: If this Cup run goes sideways, at least Arteta can tell the press the players’ injuries aren’t a tactical ploy, it’s just the script asking for more breaks.
Punchline 2: And if Henkabi becomes a real weapon, Arsenal might need to hire a translator for the opponents—because the ball will be speaking fluent “warrior.”