English League Cup: Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

Fresh off some brilliant displays, Arsenal switch their focus to League Cup action this week. Brighton arrive at the Emirates on Thursday morning for what should be an intriguing fourth-round encounter. 

Brighton have given Arsenal some headaches on their own turf before – they've got a decent record here. But the way the Gunners are performing? Hard to bet against them.

What are betting sites in NZ thinking ahead of this tie? Here are our Arsenal vs Brighton betting tips and preview.

Arsenal

Critics often bashed Mikel Arteta’s “over-cautious” approach at Arsenal. Numbers suggest though, the North Londoners have been quite prolific in front of goal this term. They have scored 15 goals in the first eight weeks of the ongoing Premier League season - only Manchester City and Chelsea have managed more.

In defence, Arsenal have exceeded expectations, even by their own high standards. They have let in only three goals in 12 matches across all competitions, which is the best in Europe’s top-five leagues.

Team News: Piero Hincapie could be in line for a rare start at the back if Arteta decides to rotate.

Predicted Lineup: Raya; Lewis-Skelley, Mosquera, Hincapie, White; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.

Brighton & Hove Albion

A 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford brought Brighton's four-game unbeaten streak to an end. Top football betting sites had them as outsiders, but that won't soften the blow. They'd won their last three at United's home ground and would've genuinely believed they could make it four.

Brighton's attacking output has been impressive – 14 Premier League goals demonstrates that – but their defensive frailties are becoming a real concern. They’ve shipped 15 goals in nine league matches. Only Burnley, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Wolves have conceded more.

The South Coast side kept clean sheets in both of their League Cup games. It’s safe to say, though, that Arsenal will be a bigger goal-scoring threat than Oxford United and Barnsley. 

It’s not all doom and gloom for Brighton heading into the match. Their away form in London has been solid this season - three matches, no defeats, and a win against Chelsea. Brighton also have a decent recent record at the Emirates with three wins in their last five visits, including when they knocked Arsenal out of this competition three years ago.

Team News: Kaoru Mitoma will be hoping to at least make the bench after missing the trip to the North West due to an ankle injury.

Predicted Lineup: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, De Cuyper; Welbeck.

• Arsenal have won three of their last five matches against Brighton. 
• Brighton had 22 goal attempts at Emirates in June, 2024 - no other team has managed to match that since. 
• Both teams have scored in only two of the last five matches between these two sides.

Odds across betting apps in NZ are overwhelmingly in favour of an Arsenal win, but Brighton have been a tricky opponent for them in the past. They barely managed a draw when they last played Brighton at home, with the visitors finishing the match with a whopping 63.7% possession. 

These two sides met in the League Cup in 2022 at Emirates, with Brighton knocking the hosts out with a 3-1 win. The Seagulls have also won 3-0 at Emirates in 2023. 

That said, we don’t see Brighton getting past Arsenal this time around, given the form the Gunners have been showing. We expect Arsenal to take advantage of Brighton’s defensive vulnerabilities and progress to the next round.

Bukayo Saka to Score First @ $7.00

Maxim de Cuyper had a match to forget against Bryan Mbuemo at Old Trafford. Now, the Brighton left-back will be up against Bukayo Saka, who has looked increasingly sharper in recent matches. We expect Saka to give de Cuyper a tough time again and open the scoring, with this bet paying $7 at 20Bet.