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Confirmed line-ups: Brighton vs Arsenal: Lokonga starts, Pepe misses out

By on October 2, 2021

Albert Sambi Lokonga

A win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium this evening would see Arsenal move to within touching distance of the top four.

Obviously Granit Xhaka is unavailable after being ruled out for 3 months with a knee ligament injury that he picked up during Arsenal’s win over Tottenham last weekend. Albert Sambi Lokonga is the man to be recalled as he starts alongside Thomas Partey in midfield this evening so Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have to settle for places on the bench.

Sambi coming in is the only change from the Arsenal side that beat Tottenham so Arteta has stuck with the same system rather than switching to a more attacking line-up that may have seen Nicolas Pepe recalled. The Ivorian has to settle for a place on the bench.

Aaron Ramsdale keeps his place between the sticks so Bernd Leno has to settle for a place on the bench once again. Takehiro Tomiyasu is at right-back with Kieran Tierney on the left while Ben White lines-up alongside Gabriel in the middle of what’s become a settled back four.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again leads the line up front for Arsenal this evening while Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe will offer support. Martin Odegaard keeps his place in the attacking midfield role.

These are the line-ups:

Arsenal

Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Lokonga, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Saka, Aubameyang (c).

Subs: Leno, Cedric, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette.

Brighton

Sanchez, Dunk, Duffy, Burn, Cucurella, Groß, Lallana, Veltman, Moder, Trossard, Maupay

Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Connolly, MaCallister, March, Locadia, Roberts, Richards, Sarmiento.