After a disappointing 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, Arsenal will travel to Brighton on Saturday looking to move back into the top seven with a victory at the Amex Stadium.
The loss on Wednesday night leaves them in ninth-place, five points behind Manchester United, who currently occupy fifth-place and what could be the final Champions League spot (Man City's appeal against their European ban pending). Yet they have failed to beat the Seagulls in their last four league encounters, and will need to improve on previous displays to do so this time around.
Injuries to both Pablo Marí and Granit Xhaka on Wednesday will badly affect their squad depth, as well as also having Lucas Torreira, Calum Chambers and Sokratis sidelined for the fixture. David Luiz's red card means that he will be suspended for Saturday's trip as well.
Here's how the Gunners should line up for Saturday's fixture.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Bernd Leno (GK) - Could not be faulted for the horrendous defensive errors that took place in front of him in midweek. Leno remains the calmest figure in Arsenal's backline and can be relied upon to do his best in keeping out Brighton's forwards on Saturday.
Héctor Bellerín (RB) - Will likely keep his place, given his position as the club's first-choice. A run of consecutive games will do him some good, given he has now fully recovered from his ACL injury.
Shkodran Mustafi (CB) - Now assumes the role as Arsenal's most senior defender on the pitch, following Luiz's sending off. Will need to produce a big performance to inspire confidence from the back, and will likely remain in the team as the defensive injuries pile up.
Rob Holding (CB) - Has only played 86 minutes of Premier League action this season, but will get his chance at the Amex, with Luiz, Sokratis and Marí all absent. A major opportunity for him to stake a claim in the first team for the remaining nine games of the season.
Kieran Tierney (LB) - Having finally overcome his injury problems, Tierney should be ready to play out the remainder of the season. Will be expected to provide attacking width to help create for his teammates with his deadly left-foot crosses.
Midfielders
Dani Ceballos (DM) - A surprise omission from the starting XI who played on Wednesday, the Spaniard will surely return to the lineup following Xhaka's injury. His ball distribution will be key to unlocking the Brighton defence, and will benefit from having Guendouzi alongside him to do the defensive dirty work.
Matteo Guendouzi (DM) - Once thought to be out of favour under Arteta, the 21-year-old will play a vital role in protecting his depleted back four. Will allow Ceballos to thrive by doing the defensive work needed to win back the ball in order to launch counter-attacks.
Nicolas Pépé (RW) - Should be chosen to start on Saturday, for his pace and ability to create something out of nothing against what is a well drilled Brighton side. Pépé will enjoy the match-up against Dan Burn, and will look to use his speed and dribbling ability at every opportunity.
Mesut Özil (AM) - If Arteta left him out for tactical reasons against City, then the German should be expected to return to the starting XI, given his creativity will be crucial to picking apart the Seagulls. A starring role could secure Özil a first team place for the rest of the season - and make it hard for him to be dropped again.
Bukayo Saka (LW) - Tierney's return has given the youngster the chance to thrive further upfield and show off his attacking abilities without needing to track back as frequently. Saka's runs could be key in helping to pick apart Graham Potter's defence, and increased game time with Tierney could lead to a formidable left-wing partnership going forward.
Forward
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) - While Eddie Nketiah put in a shift on Wednesday, Arteta could give him a rest on Saturday, and therefore give Aubameyang the keys to leading the front line. His pace would give the pair of Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster a host of problems, and his eye for goal will ensure that the Gunners can muster more than just the three shots they had against the Citizens (with none being on-target either).
Source : 90min