🔥🏟️Gabriel Jesus returns from injury, with Mikel Merino’s choice made,” Arsenal expected line-up vs. Brighton: two major changes made, with £55 million man set to miss out.

On Saturday lunchtime, the Emirates Stadium will host a highly anticipated Premier League clash, as Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion both vie for the top spot in the table. With both teams maintaining a perfect record so far this season, the stakes are high as they look to extend their winning streaks.

Arsenal enters the match fresh off a confidence-boosting 2-0 victory over Aston Villa last weekend, a win that finally ended Unai Emery’s run of success against his former club. Emery, who was dismissed by Arsenal in 2019, has since enjoyed several victories over the Gunners, including eliminating them from the 2020-21 Europa League with Villarreal and securing two Premier League wins last season. However, Arsenal managed to turn the tables this time, with goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey securing the three points.

The match also featured a standout moment from Arsenal’s goalkeeper, David Raya, who made a spectacular save from Ollie Watkins’s close-range header—an effort that is likely to be remembered as one of the Premier League’s greatest saves. This crucial intervention, coupled with Arsenal’s effectiveness at the other end of the pitch, has placed the Gunners among the few teams with a perfect record in the 2024-25 season, alongside Brighton, Liverpool, and Manchester City.

Arsenal is now on an eight-game winning streak in the Premier League, and another victory on Saturday would mark their longest run since the legendary “Invincibles” of the 2003-04 season. Mikel Arteta’s managerial achievements have garnered widespread praise, but this weekend, he faces a challenge from Brighton’s young manager, Fabian Hurzeler. Hurzeler, who was only 18 when Arteta first joined Arsenal as a player in 2011, is making a name for himself on the South Coast, leading Brighton to back-to-back wins, including a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Manchester United and a dominant 4-0 EFL Cup win over Crawley Town.

Despite their recent success, Brighton is looking to overcome a poor record in London, where they failed to win any of their seven top-flight matches last season. However, their last triumph in the capital was a resounding 3-0 victory over Arsenal in May 2023. Arsenal, however, has since avenged that defeat with two wins over Brighton last season, including a 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium.

Arsenal will be without Gabriel Jesus for Saturday’s match, as the Brazilian forward picked up a groin injury in training and is expected to miss the game. He joins Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney on the sidelines. The Gunners could hand a debut to Mikel Merino, who was recently signed from Real Sociedad, though he may start on the bench as Partey, who scored last weekend, is likely to retain his place in the starting lineup. Leandro Trossard could also start against his former club, potentially replacing the out-of-form Gabriel Martinelli.

Brighton, on the other hand, is dealing with injuries to key players, including new signing Matt O’Riley, who was forced off with an ankle injury just minutes into his debut against Crawley. O’Riley is expected to join Solly March on the sidelines, while Brajan Gruda and Mats Wieffer will undergo late fitness tests. Evan Ferguson has returned from injury but may not start, with former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck likely to lead the line for Brighton. A debut could also be in store for Turkish left-back Ferdi Kadioglu, who was previously linked with a move to Arsenal.

As the two teams prepare to face off, the potential lineups are as follows:

Arsenal’s possible starting lineup:

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard

Brighton’s possible starting lineup:

Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Milner, Gilmour; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck

This matchup promises to be an intense battle, with both teams eager to claim the top spot in the Premier League and extend their perfect start to the season.