Arsenal vs Brighton and Hove Albion: Preview, Odds and Betting Tips - 14/05/2023

Will Arsenal keep up with City?

Two of the most exciting teams in the Premier League this season, Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion will be facing off on May 14, 2023 in their reverse 2022/23 Premier League fixture.

Both teams have shown what a well-drilled team of hungry youth can do in a league of experienced veterans and this is something that a lot of teams in the league will look to replicate going forward.

They have been led by two of the brightest managers in the league, Mikel Arteta and Roberto De Zerbi. Both managers have been touted as replacements for Pep Guardiola, who is fast becoming the standard used to measure success as a manager.

Arteta is being touted to directly replace Guardiola at Manchester City while De Zerbi is looked at as his direct rival, in a fashion that resembles the Guardiola-Klopp rivalry of recent seasons.

Both men will be unconcerned about these comparisons and postulations at this point in the season because they are playing for their lives at the moment.

A win sees Brighton crack the top six while a loss sees Arsenal keep the pressure on City, who they are about to lose the league title to thanks to a few slip ups in the past matchweeks.

May 14 promises to be an exciting day for fans of the Premier League and bettors who enjoy high stakes games like this.

Let us take a look at their form guides to get a clearer picture of what to expect and how to make informed stakes.

Form Guide: Arsenal

Arsenal bounced back brilliantly against Newcastle United after a few slip ups which saw them lose their lead in the league to defending champions Man City.

Three straight draws and a loss to the Cityzens saw their lead cut down to two points, which City would go on to capitalize on to grab to top spot.

Arsenal are now back, fighting to reclaim their lost lead. The response has been magnificent. A 3 - 1 defeat of Chelsea was followed by a total domination of Eddie Howe's Newcastle which saw the game end in a 2 - 0 scoreline. This gives them a bit boost of confidence as they welcome Brighton to the Emirates on Sunday, May 14.

The team, however, is not firing on full cylinders just yet. Bukayo Saka has shown signs of fatigue and possible injury. They are also struggling a little in the defence without William Saliba, who is injured for the rest of the season.

Arteta will be worried about his squad depth as it could affect their improving form when they face the Seagulls in the next game week.

Form Guide: Brighton and Hove Albion

In true mid-table team fashion, Brighton, led by De Zerbi, have won and lost a number of important games in the past month.

They beat Chelsea to effectively sack Graham Potter, their former manager, from Stamford Bridge just after losing to Tottenham Hotspur.

That will was followed by a penalty shootout loss in the FA Cup to Manchester United and a shocking 3 - 1 loss to relegation strugglers Nottingham Forest. Then they bounced back with an emphatic 6 - 0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers before taking their revenge on United for knocking them out of the FA Cup.

Their 1 - 0 over the Red Devils was not enough to grant them access to the top six, however, because Spurs would go on to win their game and hold on to sixth.

This remains their goal for the season and De Zerbi will come out guns blazing against Arsenal.

Unlike his opponent, he has no serious fitness issues to worry about. He also has some of the most in-form players in the league at the moment in his squad and he will be counting on them for their visit to the Emirates.

What to expect from the match

Brighton held Manchester United to a draw and scored a goal in the 100th minute (10 minutes after regulation time) to take all three points in that tie.

The match was a masterclass in defence and attack from De Zerbi and a similar game is to be expected when he takes on Arteta. His tactics will be different, however, because Arsenal tend to rely on their attacking might and possession retaining abilities.

It will be an end-to-end game of smooth transitions which will see some great defensive efforts that are points worthy. Both teams will concede in the game.

Betting predictions

Both teams to score

Arsenal and Brighton are teams who enjoy attacking and this is what they will do. These attacks will lead to goals for both sides and they will be brilliant goals. The number of goals each teams will concede may be hard to predict but both managers will have very intense half time talks with their teams.

William Hill is offering 1.57 odds for this to happen.

Arsenal to score first

Arsenal will score before the half hour mark. This has been the trend in their last few games and for most of their season. It is not about to change because the Seagulls are coming to town. They will force their opponents to make an error and they will score from that error.

William Hill is offering 1.55 odds for the Gunners to pull the trigger first.

Over 2.5 goals

Both sides have met two times previously in the season: in the EFL (Carabao) Cup and in the Premier League.

The Carabao Cup tie ended 3 - 1 in favour of Brighton (at the Emirates) and the Premier League tie ended 4 - 2 in favour of the Gunners (at the AMEX).

It is an indication that both sides attack to score as many goals as possible, leading to a very solid betting option of over 2.5 goals in total for the game.

De Zerbi and Arteta will be preparing for this outcome and so should you.

William Hill is offering 1.60 odds to see at least three goals scored.

All odds are via William Hill and all info valid as at the time of writing.

Odds could differ now.