New Delhi: While most of the matchday 18 fixtures took place on boxing day last night, two games still remain from this matchday before the next one starts on Sunday. Almost all of the major teams were in action last night as Liverpool extended their lead on the top of the table with a comeback win over Leicester City while Chelsea and Manchester United succumbed to defeats on boxing day.
Manchester City’s dodgy form continued with a draw at home to Everton while Nottingham Forest inflicted another defeat on Tottenham. Newcastle United continued their ascent up the league table with a comfortable win over Aston Villa as Wolves climbed out of the relegation zone by defeating United. With so much of action already behind us, let’s dive in to see what is in store for both Arsenal and Brighton as they get ready to host their opponents tonight.
Brighton and Hove Albion vs Brentford (1:00 AM IST)
Festive Friday night football. It’s MATCHDAY! ✊ pic.twitter.com/eY8ojbBKna
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 27, 2024
The Seagulls started life under Fabian Hürzeler very well but off-late their form has dropped off massively. Brighton have been a bit inconsistent this season on the whole but since the start of November, they haven’t looked as threatening as they did before. They are now winless in over a month, having last won against Bournemouth towards the end of November. Since then they’ve been on a five game winless run which has included disappointing draws to struggling sides like Southampton, West Ham, and Leicester City and 3-1 losses to both Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Maybe it’s a good thing for them that they welcome the worst away side in the Premier League this season, later tonight as Brentford travel to the Amex stadium. The Bees have the best record at home but have the absolute worst record in the league on their travels. They are yet to win a game away from home this season and will be hoping to change that tonight as they take on a Brighton team that isn’t on good form themselves. Brentford are coming off the back of their first home defeat of the season and would like to compensate for that with their first away win.
Predicted Lineups
Brighton XI (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Joao Pedro, Mitoma; Ferguson
Brentford XI (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Mee, Van den Berg; Janelt, Norgaard, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter
Match Prediction: Brighton 1-1 Brentford
Arsenal vs Ipswich Town (1:45 AM IST)
🔴 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛𝘿𝘼𝙔 ⚪️
🆚 Ipswich Town
⏰ 8.15pm (UK)
🏆 Premier League
🏟 Emirates Stadium pic.twitter.com/EE3R0BRPQS
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 27, 2024
The final game of the matchday will be played between two sides sitting on the opposite ends of the spectrum as Arsenal host Ipswich Town for the first time this season. The Gunners have a great chance to leapfrog ahead of both Nottingham Forest and Chelsea into second position with a routine win over the Tractor Boys, given that Chelsea lost to Fulham yesterday. In their last Premier League outing, Arsenal were up against a side that are near the bottom of the table and demolished them 5-1 and another similar scoreline could be on the cards tonight against Ipswich Town.
Ipswich, on the other hand, have been extremely unlucky this season despite playing well at times. They haven’t yet been able to put a consistent performance for the full ninety minutes, which has led to most of their problems this season. They’re currently sit second from bottom in the league table and a win tonight would see them move level on points with Wolves, bringing them some sense of semblance after being involved in the relegation battle all season. They were battered by Newcastle in the previous match and would do themselves a huge favour if they mentally prepare themselves for a similar scoreline.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal XI (4-3-3):Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Jesus, Havertz, Trossard
Ipswich Town XI (4-2-3-1): Muric; Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Cajuste, Phillips; Hutchinson, Szmodics, Clarke; Delap
Match Prediction: Arsenal 4-1 Ispwich Town
While most of the matchday 18 fixtures took place on boxing day last night, two games still remain from this matchday before the next one starts on Sunday. Dive in to check out the detailed preview and the predicted lineups of both these games! Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
