please log in to view this image Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Wednesday 29th October 2025 KO time: 19:45 GMT Overall Record Wins: 17 Losses: 8 Draws: 7 Last six meetings Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Arsenal Arsenal 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion 0-3 Arsenal Arsenal 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion Arsenal 0-3 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion 2-4 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
With some of the knocks and absences we have right now, I would try to limit the first team minutes as much as possible. This would be my team but 98% sure it won't happen. Kepa White Mosquera Hincapie Lewis-Skelly Norgaard Merino Dowman Nwaneri Gyokeres (sub him off at HT) Martinelli
I say start the entire second string ! Martinelli is injured apparently, I'd push Merino up top, rest Gyokeres, start Trossard, maybe push MLS into midfield, not sure who would play LB though .......
Wow, more rotation than even I expected - Harriman-Annous and Dowman both start, what an opportunity for the young guns.
Brighton have rotated in a few positions more than I expected to be fair. Although saying that, their attack and midfield is probably better than ours tonight. Not expecting to go through at all, just hope we put in a good performance and the youngsters flourish on a night where there's no pressure on them.
Team is a gamble, but at the same time a great chance for many of these players. Love seeing Dowman start!
They need to step up and win. It's a home game. Our back line looks great despite being the back up team. I have a very good feeling about Hincapie - I think he is going to be a leader. Players like Norgaard, Eze and Merino in midfield should should be raring to go and we have Nwaneri and Dowman wide. I do not see why we can't win this game. Brighton missing some players too.
The team we have put out is competitive, but we can clearly tell from the lineup that the Burnley game is more important to the manager than this one. Our defence is good, our midfield is decent but the attack is extremely inexperienced. I can't realistically expect a 15 year old or 17 year old in attack, making their full debuts, to trouble a Premier League calibre opposition defence. I guess we will see how the game flows, but I am not expecting us to progress. Also, Brighton need this more than we do.
Quite a sobering half. This is pretty much Brightons second team too and their players are superior in most respects and show more intelligence. We can't blame any low block here. No real threat from us. Brighton have carved us open and should be 3-0 up and they have held possession too. Just a half where we've been outclassed. We have to step it up
We played alright IMO. Brighton started well but then we started to gain control. Should have done better in the box. Dowman is going to be insane.
HT. 0-0. How Brighton aren't ahead is beyond me. They've had the best chances and look the most threatening. I think Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly have been sloppy. Merino and Norgaard have offered no presence in midfield at all. Every time Brighton attack, they cut through us in the middle like there's no-one there. They've got no power or athleticism to combat Brighton's energy. Very poor midfield composition. Harriman-Annous has tried, but he's been pretty much anonymous. What I'd expect from a 17-year old making his debut against a Premier League defence, though. The one bright spark by far has been Dowman. They've had to double up on him because he's been such a threat. He's so good at creating separation from his marker. Great ball-carrying ability and ability to take the ball on the half-turn and drive at their defence. Very bright first half by Dowman. Hard to believe he's 15 years old. Everyone else needs to get their act together.
Eze is probably the only started here from our best 11 - and even that's debatable We have a 15 year old playing, a debutant and a back four that have never played together. I think they've actually done fine.
GOAL! 1-0. Nwaneri. What a lovely team goal that was. Only been 12 minutes back after the restart, but this has been a much better second half compared to the first half.
