The English League Cup Round of 16 match between Arsenal and Brighton will take place on October 29 at the Emirates Stadium in London. Arsenal vs. Brighton: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Arsenal
The London team has played one match in the current tournament, defeating League One side Port Vale 2-0 away. Prior to this, they suffered two defeats in this competition, both in the semi-finals of the previous edition. In the spring, Mikel Merino's side lost both legs to Newcastle with identical 0-2 scores. It's worth noting that the Gunners have gone 10 consecutive matches in the English League Cup without a draw (5 wins and 5 losses).
- Arsenal's uncompromising home series in this tournament stands at 16 matches – 10 wins and 6 losses.
- At least 3 goals have been scored in 11 of the last 15 home games for the Gunners in the English League Cup.
- The scoreline of 1-0 was present at halftime in 6 of Arsenal's last 8 matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Arsenal (4-3-3)
Kepa – William Saliba, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Cristian Mosquera, Ben White – Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Eberechi Eze – Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino.
Forwards Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Gabriel Jesus, along with midfielder Martin Ødegaard, are injured.
Brighton
Fabian Hurzeler's team has already played two matches. Their opponents were clubs from lower divisions, and in both encounters, the team won easily, both away: Oxford United and Barnsley (both games ended 6-0). Notably, the club has 4 wins in their last 5 games in the English League Cup. Interestingly, Brighton has reached the Round of 16 of this cup for the first time since the 2014/15 season.
- The club has not lost in 10 of their last 12 games in this tournament (8 wins and 2 draws).
- Four or more goals have been scored in Brighton's last five English League Cup matches.
- At least one team has failed to score in Brighton's last 4 away matches in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Brighton (4-3-3)
Jason Steele – Joël Veltman, Diego Coppola, Olivier Boscagli, Ferdi Kadioglu – James Milner, Diego Gomez, Carlos Baleba – Danny Welbeck, Stefanos Tsimas, Thomas Watson.
Defender Solly March and midfielder Jack Hinshelwood are out due to injuries.
Referee
Sam Barrott (England)
Matches – 29 (Premier League and English League Cup, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 138;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 21%.
Arsenal vs. Brighton: Match Prediction
After the 9th round of matches, the Gunners continue to confidently lead the league, with their lead over the nearest rival increasing to 4 points. It is crucial for the team to maintain this gap to finally win the Premier League. Additionally, Arsenal is performing well in the Champions League, having achieved maximum results after 3 matches. But do they need the English League Cup? I think Mikel Arteta will rest his key players, as the two major tournaments are far more important.
Meanwhile, Brighton is not playing in European competitions and has issues in the league, where they currently sit in the lower half of the table. Therefore, they should try to make an impact in one of the national cups. I assume that even if the team loses, it will not be by a significant margin. Moreover, Brighton is very strong away in this tournament, not losing by a margin of two or more goals in 14 consecutive matches. Additionally, Arsenal has only beaten this opponent once in their last five home meetings in the Premier League and the English League Cup (1 draw and 3 losses).
My prediction – Brighton with a handicap (+1.5)
