Arteta Eyes Arsenal’s Best-Ever Start Ahead of Brighton Trip
Arsenal travel to Brighton on Saturday with a perfect four-win Premier League record, a place in the Carabao Cup fourth round secured, and the opportunity to match the best opening sequence in the club’s 123-year history. Mikel Arteta’s side would make it eight victories in all competitions with success at the Amex Stadium, but the Arsenal manager expects a demanding test from Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton.
Arteta closes the door on previous Brighton dispute
The fixture comes six months after tension followed Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Brighton in March. Hürzeler had criticised Arsenal’s approach after that match, saying Brighton had been the only side attempting to play football and alleging that the Gunners had created their own rules.
Arteta has sought to draw a line under the exchange before the latest meeting. He said the matter belonged in the past and stressed his admiration for Hürzeler, as well as Brighton’s development as a club.
“I have enormous respect for Fabian, for his work and for what Brighton have achieved,” Arteta said. “It has been remarkable. I expect it to be a very good match to watch.”
Strong start brings a record within reach
Arsenal have won each of their first four league games as they begin their Premier League title defence. Their midweek win over Ipswich also moved them into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, extending the run across competitions to seven matches.
Victory on the south coast would therefore equal Arsenal’s historic best start to a season, a mark that has stood for 123 years. Arteta acknowledged that the sequence has included favourable moments, but pointed to the players’ response after a summer disrupted by the World Cup.
He said the squad had little preparation time together after the tournament, yet he had been encouraged by their attitude from the first day back. Arsenal, he added, had enjoyed some luck in collecting four league wins, but will need to earn another result against a difficult opponent.
- Arsenal beat Brighton 1-0 in their previous meeting in March.
- Hürzeler’s post-match remarks created friction between the two managers.
- Arsenal opened the new league season with four victories from four.
- Max Dowman scored twice against Ipswich to send Arsenal into the Carabao Cup fourth round.
- A win at Brighton would deliver an eighth successive victory in all competitions and equal the club record.
Dowman has made his case on the pitch
Sixteen-year-old Dowman is now competing for his first Premier League appearance of the season after his two-goal contribution against Ipswich. That was his only senior outing of the campaign, but Arteta indicated that the teenager’s pathway will be shaped by his performances rather than conversations away from the training field.
“A player makes the strongest case on the pitch, not in the manager’s office,” Arteta said. “When someone performs consistently in training every day, that is the clearest message for the coach and for the rest of the group. Max was very impressive the other night, as were the other players who have not had many minutes.”
Defensive fitness concerns before Amex trip
Arsenal’s selection could be affected by uncertainty in defence. Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié are all doubts for the Brighton match, while Jurriën Timber is still building towards full fitness after a long-term groin injury.
- Arsenal have taken 12 points from their opening four Premier League fixtures.
- The Gunners are aiming for an eighth straight win in all competitions.
- Dowman’s Ipswich brace has strengthened his case for league involvement.
- White, Mosquera and Hincapié face late fitness checks.
- Timber remains on his recovery path from a groin problem.
