Brighton & Hove Albion

We asked for your thoughts on Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Arsenal.

Here are some of your responses:

Brighton fans

James: I'm getting bored of this season and bored of Roberto de Zerbi. It's clear he has only got one game plan and he has no intention of changing it. Backing him in the transfer market won't help, as it will just be placing new players in a somewhat defective system. I don't want to sound spoilt, but I am utterly fed up of watching the same boring game every week.

Tariq: I thought we competed well against a top side. We were let down in the final third and the score did flatter Arsenal. My issue is Roberto de Zerbi's constant whinging about the squad's quality. A top manager gets them performing at the highest level and he surely knew the recruitment deal when he took the post. I can't wait for his excuses at Liverpool.

Sam: Brighton fought hard but Arsenal had the better chances. Brighton just kept passing it sideways and didn't really have any clear-cut chances. We kept giving the ball away in our own half. I think De Zerbi will leave in the summer, but I still believe Brighton can get Europe this season.

Luke: The contrast to this time last season is stark. We looked like an average mid-table team which, to be honest, we are. Selling our best players, consistent injuries that have plagued us all season and a manager that wants away, isn't a recipe for success. I just hope we can finish in the top half. There is no chance of Europe next season.

Arsenal fans

GJ: We have a tough run in to end this season and this game looked like a potential banana skin, but we looked calm and confident and were totally in control. We have got an almost fully fit squad and, if we can avoid any serious injuries, I'm feeling increasingly confident that we can lift a trophy (or two).

Cosmo: An absolutely brilliant performance yet again from us and another clean sheet. If Liverpool slip up at all, they will be in trouble. We have been unstoppable since Christmas and are statistically, in terms of goals scored and goals conceded, the best team in the league.

Chris: What a team Arteta has assembled. Havertz is looking the player many thought he wasn't. Rice is like a Bentley engine in midfield. The backline is looking every bit as good as the 'golden boys' of the past.

Vince: It is looking good because this was the second straight game Arsenal kept out a strong attacking opponent with the Arteta brand of Gegenpressing. Not since the 2004 Invincibles have we simultaneously displayed the flair to strike and the belligerence to hold, until now. Do that against Bayern and a Premier League and Champions League title double cannot be ruled out!

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Everton v Burnley

Brighton v Arsenal

Brighton will not look to re-sign Ansu Fati after his loan move from Barcelona but Wolves, Valencia and Sevilla are potential destinations this summer for the Spain forward, 21. (Sport - in Spanish, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

A run of only three victories in their past 12 league games have left Brighton's ambitions of repeating last season's first qualification for European football in the balance.

Roberto De Zerbi's side slipped to 10th with a defeat by Arsenal which abruptly ended their record of 14 unbeaten matches in all competitions at the Amex Stadium stretching back to September.

Accompanied by victories for Newcastle and West Ham on Saturday, and with ninth-placed Chelsea taking on struggling Sheffield United on Sunday, the Seagulls require a strong finish to the campaign if they are to be in the mix come the final day.

But that will require them to rediscover their goal threat. Despite promising build-up play, they landed just two shots on target against Arsenal - and they have now scored just three times in their past eight games across all competitions.

Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to Sky Sports following the defeat: "The effort was good, good enough to decide this game. We played a good first half. Until the second goal, we were in the game and then the finish.

"At the moment, without a lot of important players, it is tough to create a chance to score.

"We played against Arsenal and they are top of the table. Especially in this condition, then we can lose against Arsenal at home. We are sorry for ourselves and our fans.

"Maybe we will not close the gap, I don't know. This gap to close between Liverpool and Arsenal, we are not in the condition to close this gap, especially with all of our injured players.

"I don't know what the club wants to do [in the future]. My problem is on the pitch, to improve my players and my team.

"The others things are not my business."

Here are the key facts and figures following Saturday’s game between Brighton and Arsenal in the Premier League.

• Arsenal won both Premier League meetings with Brighton in 2023-24 without conceding a goal. It is the first time the Seagulls have lost and failed to score home and away against an opponent in the Premier League under Roberto de Zerbi, having last done so in 2021-22 against Aston Villa (under Graham Potter).

• Brighton suffered their first home defeat in the Premier League since August (3-1 v West Ham United), ending what was their longest unbeaten home run in the competition (12 games).

• Arsenal currently have a goal difference of +51 in the Premier League, which is their highest in the competition since the final day of the 2004-05 season (also +51).

• The Gunners have kept five consecutive clean sheets away from home in the Premier League for the first time since April 1997 (5), whilst they are the first side to do so in the competition since Manchester City in April 2022 (also a run of five away games).

• Bukayo Saka has scored 14 goals in 29 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his most in a single campaign in the competition but in nine fewer appearances (14 goals in 38 games in 2022-23).

• Ben White made his 100th Premier League appearance for Arsenal and he has ended on the winning side in 66 of those matches. Only Sol Campbell and Lauren (both 68) have won more of their first 100 Gunners appearances in the competition.

Arsenal maintained their pursuit of a first Premier League title for 20 years as they moved top of the table with an impressive away victory over Brighton.

Mikel Arteta's side edged one point ahead of title rivals Liverpool, who face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, and Manchester City, after the reigning champions beat Crystal Palace 4-2 earlier on Saturday.

The returning Bukayo Saka, absent for Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Luton with a minor injury, kept his composure under pressure to slam in a first half penalty awarded for Tariq Lamptey's foul on Gabriel Jesus.

David Raya leapt across his goal to keep out Julio Enciso's spectacular long-range effort after 43 minutes, which was Brighton's first attempt on target, to protect Arsenal's advantage before the interval.

It was in-form Kai Havertz who gave the Gunners breathing space, slotting in from Jorginho's cut-back to settle nerves among the travelling Arsenal support after the hour mark.

Former Brighton player Leandro Trossard was denied by Bart Verbruggen, but the substitute made no mistake later on, when played through by Havertz, calmly lifting the ball over the Seagulls goalkeeper to put the result beyond doubt.

Brighton dropped to 10th with defeat, as their hopes of achieving European football for a second successive season were dealt a blow by wins for West Ham and Newcastle directly above them.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Brighton fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Arsenal fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.

BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:

• Everton v Burnley

• Brighton v Arsenal

All kick-off times BST

Listen to radio commentaries and follow live text updates here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's games, he takes on darts stars Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall, who both support Manchester United.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

The amount of changes that Arsenal made against Luton Town in midweek was interesting, but they still won very comfortably.

This is going to be a much tougher game because we know Brighton have got that ability, on any given day, to produce a really outstanding performance.

I still expect Arsenal to win, though, helped by how good their defence is.

Gabriel and William Saliba have been absolutely phenomenal and have been the Premier League's outstanding centre-half partnership this season.

Littler's prediction: 0-4

Aspinall's prediction: I did go with Brighton at first but I have changed my mind and I actually think Arsenal are going to smash them. 0-4

See the full list of predictions

There seems to be some noise about Roberto de Zerbi's position.

We know Brighton's model has been so good - the question is can they continue it?

When people start copying your model, they start taking some of the players you want to unearth.

Brighton are a very well-run club and they have been genius in the way they have gone about it all.

But recently, when results have not gone their way, De Zerbi has seemed to be slightly critical of players he has not got and about his backing. So we will see how that pans out.

Should he leave this summer, the club will have already lined up his replacement, and they will know what players they want.

They are ahead of the game and they have been for so long.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to the media before Brighton host Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday (17:30 BST kick-off).

Here are the main headlines from his news conference:

• Valentin Barco and Ansu Fati are available for the visit of the Gunners, but Adam Webster and Evan Ferguson are among the players not yet fit for selection.

• Arsenal are one of the clubs to have recently been linked with striker Ferguson. Asked if the teenager is a player he would like to keep at the club, De Zerbi said: "I don't know the plan of the next year or the next season. He is an important player for us. We are lucky to have a lot of young players of this level like Ferguson - Facundo Buonanotte is the same and Julio Enciso also."

• Bart Verbruggen is set to start once more in goal, but De Zerbi stopped short of saying he is Brighton's first-choice keeper ahead of Jason Steele. "Bart is playing well and improving a lot, but I can't forget Jason," said the Italian.

• On his goalkeepers, De Zerbi added: "I believe in both but they are different goalkeepers. Bart is improving his build-up and he's becoming great, but Jason as well played very well, especially in the first part of the season. He gave us a lot of points."

• On the battle for European qualification: "We have the qualities to fight to reach another season in a European position, that would be a target. It's tough because there are a lot of teams from Fulham (13th) to Manchester United (sixth) who are close in the table."

• Arsenal are "one of the best" teams in the Premier League. De Zerbi said: "Liverpool are another great team with different characteristics and a different style. Manchester City are closer with the style of Arsenal, but I think when Arsenal play well it is very tough for all."

• Former Seagulls winger Leandro Trossard is set to play at Amex Stadium for the first time since his departure to Arsenal in January 2023. "He's playing well. He's not playing so many times in the first XI but he's a great player. He was a great player with us and he is still a great player with Arsenal," said De Zerbi.

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Here are the key facts and figures before Saturday's Premier League fixture between Brighton and Arsenal.

• Arsenal are looking to complete the Premier League double over Brighton for the second time, previously doing so in the 2020-21 campaign.

• Since losing 3-1 to West Ham United in August, Brighton are unbeaten in their last 12 home Premier League matches, their longest unbeaten run at the Amex in the competition.

• Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four away Premier League matches – only once in their league history have they kept five in a row, doing so between February and April 1997.

• Brighton have won just three of their 18 Premier League games kicking off at 17:30 on a Saturday, however one of those wins did come in their most recent such fixture, beating Newcastle 3-1 in September last year. Meanwhile, three of Arsenal’s last four away Premier League defeats have come in games kicking off at 17:30 on a Saturday.

• Since the turn of the year, Arsenal haven’t trailed for a single minute in any of their five away Premier League games, conceding the fewest goals, allowing the lowest xG against (2.26) and facing the fewest shots on target on the road of any side in 2024.

• Arsenal have lost just one of their last nine trips to the South Coast in the Premier League, a 1-0 loss at Southampton in April 2022, winning three of their last four such games (D1). Meanwhile, Brighton have lost just one of their last eight home league matches against London based sides, winning each of their last three in a row.

• Brighton forward Danny Welbeck has scored in four of his last five starts against former side Arsenal in all competitions (4 goals), although each of his last three strikes against the Gunners have come at the Emirates.

• Arsenal’s David Raya could become the first Spanish keeper to keep a clean sheet in five consecutive away Premier League starts and the ninth different keeper to do so overall in the competition.

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton owner Tony Bloom "has a vision and strategy" for the club and that has been instrumental to co-chairman Paul Barber committing to a new long-term deal, says football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

"They very much are a double act," Maguire told BBC Radio Sussex.

"By Barber committing himself to 2030, it means Bloom has a vision and strategy that he has wanted to buy into. It gives the club security because the quality of decision making is critical to any success and they are brilliant together."

As a duo they have overseen things as the club won promotion from the Championship, became established in the Premier League and qualified for European competition for the first time in their 123-year history.

The Seagulls announced a record profit of £122.8m in the 2022-23 financial year on Tuesday.

On the importance of keeping Barber and Bloom together, Maguire added: "Barber is universally admired as far as the football industry is concerned and he has many people who would like to engage his services.

"He is very well paid by Brighton, but rightly so as it reflects his talents. He probably knows he will not find a better person to work with or for, than Tony Bloom."

Spain forward Ansu Fati faces an uncertain future at Barcelona following a disappointing loan spell at Brighton. The 21-year-old could be sold or sent out on loan again next season. (Marca - in Spanish), external

Premier League clubs are pushing to scrap points deductions in favour of a new luxury tax fine system. (Mirror), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

We asked for your thoughts on Wednesday's Premier League game between Brentford and Brighton.

Here are some of your responses:

Brentford fans

George: Playing Brighton is like looking at our slightly-more handsome reflection in the mirror. Our clubs are run with the same philosophies - they really are just a better version of us: for every underrated Dane we sign, they find a Brazilian wonderkid. We defended very well, and in a game where we never had the edge, I’ll gladly take a draw!

Chuck: A dreadful scoreless game. The Bees looked drained following Saturday’s tremendous effort against Manchester United, but against a well-drilled Brighton it is a good point. Hopefully we can return to winning ways this weekend at Villa Park.

Clarkey: A hard-fought point against an established Premier League team, another step towards a fourth season in the top flight. Three more than I thought we'd ever have. I still pinch myself as a lifelong Bees fan!

Brighton fans

John: The constant 'will he stay or will he go' surrounding De Zerbi has clearly derailed Brighton's season and it would probably be best if Tony Bloom shook his hand and said thanks and goodbye. OK we've had to deal with injuries but the constant uncertainty surrounding De Zerbi can't be good for the players.

Don: A couple of seasons ago taking a point somewhere like Brentford would have been satisfactory. But this does illustrate the enduring Brighton issue, where now expectations are higher than the team’s capability. As it stands, I'm not sure where any further points are coming from (home to Man Utd anyone…).

Steve: The season is fizzling out after promising so much. We still need to remember where we've come from but we can't keep saying this for another 20 years. We need to develop but we can't keep selling our best players. It's a joy supporting BHA, but we lack a cutting edge.

Image source, Getty Images

Ansu Fati was left out of Brighton's squad to face Brentford to work on his "physical condition."

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi confirmed Irish striker Evan Ferguson was missing due to an injury but Fati was not injured.

"Fati and Valentin Barco, I didn't decide to play with them in the squad for this game," said De Zerbi.

"I wanted them to work alone to improve their physical condition."

Fati has scored four goals for Brighton since joining on loan from Barcelona. But he has not scored since returning in February from a hamstring injury which kept him out for three months.

De Zerbi added: "Fati is working very well but from him I have different expectations.

"I haven't changed my opinion about Ansu Fati. He is one of the best talents in the world for his age.

"He needs to improve his performances, to improve his physical condition, to improve his mentality because to play in the Premier League you have to be stronger in mentality, stronger physically.

"When he shows us the right condition, he will be ready to play for us and I will be happy."

Image source, Reuters

The future of Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi is one of the topics discussed on the latest episode of the Planet Premier League podcast on BBC Sounds.

After achieving great success with the Seagulls in the past two seasons, the Italian has been linked with several managerial roles across Europe.

But ex-England winger Theo Walcott said: "The grass isn't always greener. You look at Graham Potter for instance, I still believe that there would be some really good teams hunting him out at some point, I'm sure.

"But do you get time when you go to a bigger club, like Graham Potter found out at Chelsea? He didn't get the time to try to implement his style because you're at a different club and the expectations are very different of course.

"I feel De Zerbi is the sort of character who would want clarity in everything that he goes for - if he's going to move. I think it's interesting that he has not committed, shall we say, to Brighton but he is the Brighton manager and working really hard.

"I think Brighton will have already started that motion of who they're going to bring in, who they're going to sell, which manager is next; they're just that good at structuring the future, they're just a really good football club and really well run."

Football stats gurus Opta have tweeted: There have been four instances of a player creating five or more chances and completing 100 or more passes in a Premier League match this season, with half of those done by Pascal Groß.

On Wednesday, the midfielder created seven chances and completed 118 passes against Brentford.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from this midweek's Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Image source, PA Media

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday's 0-0 draw against Brentford:

"We played very well, we were unlucky and deserved to win. Their last game against Manchester United, they shot 30 times, so we knew the level of difficulty.

"We played better, especially in the second half we had a lot of chances to score. But today we are disappointed, just not in the performance. We lost two points, if we analyse the table, but if we analyse the performance we are happy."

On referee Andy Madley's decision not to give Brighton a penalty despite being called to the VAR monitor, De Zerbi told BBC Match of the Day: "I have never seen the ref go to watch VAR then not give a penalty. But I am sure he looked well."