Match Preview – Arsenal v Brighton
Arsenal – the team
Arsenal are officially the country’s crisis club. Forget Blackburn, Coventry and Blackpool, it’s at the Emirates where despair and anger know no bounds. It’s easy to understand why some Arsenal supporters are planning a walk out in the 27th minute of our visit; they have after all only won the FA Cup three times in the last four seasons and qualified for the Champions League 19 times out of the last 20. As Brighton supporters, we can all sympathise with Arsenal fans. We of course staged our own walk outs and boycotts not so long ago. These were for the far less serious issues of our owners asset stripping the club, selling the Goldstone Ground and pocketing the profits all the while we were marooned at the bottom of the entire football league and, as a result, leaving us without a permanent home for 14 years, playing “home” games at Gillingham for two of those and then another 12 at an athletics stadium with no roof. It must be tough being a Gooner.
Arsenal – the place
Forget McDons, Arsenal were the original franchise club. They started life saaarrrfffffff of the river in Woolwich, moving to Islington in 1913. Highbury is famous for being the home of Wessex Studios, where Queen, The Rolling Stones, The Sex Pistols and The Clash all recorded albums. It is also home to the Finsbury Park Mosque which has had its fair share of headlines over the last 10 years, most recently when a terrorist ran down a load of Muslim’s leaving midnight prayers and before that for being the venue where Abu Hamza preached.
Arsenal – the people
Being one of the countries biggest club, it’s unsurprising that Arsenal have a raft of famous fans. That bloke who lost the General Election but likes to pretend he won it Jeremy Corbyn is a Gooner, as is Professional Twat Piers Morgan. Morgan is of course vehemently anti-Wenger so will no doubt be leading the walk out. Other famous fans include Mo Farah, Nick Hornby and everyone’s favourite windmill dweller, Jonathan Creek.
A good WeAreBrighton.com memory of Arsenal away
This is our first visit to Arsenal since 1983 so there isn’t a lot of Albion based stuff to go on. The WeAreBrighton.com team have had a couple of corporate tickets for Arsenal though and these are always good fun, not because of the football or anything, but because in the lounges at the Emirates at half time they just load tables up with pints and glasses of wine which are complimentary. Throw two of each of those back and it normally guarantees a great second half. Paul Barber, take note.
A bad WeAreBrighton.com memory of Arsenal away
***Leaves blank for reporting about our first visit to the Emirates when we didn’t have a striker and lost 4-0***
Played for both
Former Albion boss and Arsenal legend Liam Brady was hailed as a great link between the two clubs that would mean some fantastic Arsenal loan players coming our way. Steve Sidwell, Paul Dickov and Mark Flatts the way aha aha I like it were excellent additions during their brief spells but it was largely utter shite that made the journey down from Arsenal. We’re thinking Graham Barrett, Joe O’Ceaurill, Gavin Hoyte and of course, Chuba Akpom. Kolo Toure easily would’ve been the best of the lot had we have taken him on loan when the Gunners offered us him in 2002, rather than deciding that Guy Butters was a better option.
Dangermen
Where to start? Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Alexandre Laczaette, Olivier Giroud. Arsenal have a scary amount of quality in their front line alone. And we’ll be lining up with Jamie Murphy as a false nine. Christ.
Betting
Given the fact we don’t have a striker and we are an extremely defensive team, it seems utterly mad that Arsenal to win to nil is available at 23/20. Another bet that might be worth a look is the draw half time/Arsenal full time. We’ve only gone into the break behind in one game out of six so far this season and you can take that at 19/10.
Here’s our full OLBG betting preview for the game
Prediction
An exact replica of the Manchester City game – a 2-0 defeat for the Albion.
