Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo is banned after accumulating five yellow cards, so Billy Gilmour may start his first league game for the club.
Danny Welbeck is doubtful to face his former side because of a muscle injury. Alexis Mac Allister is not expected to be available following his post-World Cup break.
Arsenal will monitor the fitness of Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are nearing returns from respective groin and hamstring problems.
Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson remain sidelined. If Arsenal go to Brighton and win then that will be a sign that they can go all the way and win the title.
It was massive for the Gunners that Eddie Nketiah scored in their win over West Ham, and he took his goal really well too, but this is a big test of their resolve, and the sort of game where they will miss the injured Gabriel Jesus.
Brighton knocked Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the season, but they actually have a decent record against them in the Premier League in recent years, and beat them at Emirates Stadium in April.
Danny Welbeck has scored four goals in his last five games against Arsenal in all competitions, in a run stretching back to Man Utd’s 8-2 win over the Gunners in August 2011
Head-to-head, Brighton have lost just one of their five Premier League home games against Arsenal (W2, D2), a 1-0 defeat in December 2020.
The Seagulls are one of three teams against whom the Gunners have lost more matches (four) than they have won (three), along with Manchester United (W17, L26) and Liverpool (W17, L25).
Brighton & Hove Albion
The seventh-placed Seagulls are on course to end a calendar year in the highest position in their top-flight history, bettering their ninth-place ranking at the same stage of the 1981-82 season.
Brighton have lost their final league game in just one of the last six calendar years (W3, D2), though that defeat did come at home to Arsenal in their final match of 2020.
This will be the Seagulls’ first fixture on New Year’s Eve since a 2-0 defeat at Coventry in 2011. Their last win on 31 December came against Birmingham City in 1988.
They have lost two of their four home league matches under Roberto De Zerbi (W1, D1) after avoiding defeat in each of their final seven at the Amex Stadium under Graham Potter (W4, D3).
Arsenal are guaranteed to be top of the table at the turn of the year. The Premier League leaders on 1 January have gone on to win the title in nine of the last 13 seasons.
They have kept six clean sheets in their eight Premier League away games this season, more than any other side, equalling their total in 19 matches on the road last term.
Arsenal are the only team to have scored in all of their Premier League matches this season. Their 15-match scoring streak is their longest from the beginning of a league campaign since netting in each of their opening 18 matches in 2007-08.
The Gunners have won two of their last seven league matches played on New Year’s Eve (D3, L2), beating Aston Villa 3-0 in 1988 and QPR 1-0 in 2011.
Eddie Nketiah has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League starts.
Culled from BBCSports
