Arsenal have done well to put a little bit of pressure on Liverpool in the Premier League title race but face another test of mettle with this tricky trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Gunners have won all three of their festive league fixtures to close the gap on the leaders to six points, although the Anfield side are still heavy favourites for the crown as they have a game in hand.
Mikel Arteta suffered a major blow when star man Bukayo Saka was crocked in the win at Crystal Palace but Arsenal have coped pretty well so far, chalking up wins over Ipswich and Brentford.
Brighton and Hove Albion will present a stiffer challenge on the south coast, although Fabian Hurzeler's men have gone off the boil a little after an impressive start to the season.
Monday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, which brought up two bets for our man Vlad, made it seven games without a win for the Seagulls.
But five of those matches have ended level so Brighton will be a tough nut to crack for Arsenal as they bid to keep their title push on track.
How the bookies view it: Gunners have too much firepower
With Arsenal in such impressive form, BoyleSports make them odds-on favourites here at 8/11. Brighton are 7/2 to return to winning ways while another draw for the Seagulls pays 13/5.
Recent head to head: Nothing in it
This fixture has been closely fought in recent years, with the last eight meetings producing three wins apiece and two draws. It ended in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates earlier this season, with Declan Rice red carded for the Gunners.
Players to watch: Jesus on fire
Gabriel Jesus' resurrection has been one of the main reason for Arsenal's fine festive form. His header at Brentford made it six goals in four games and the Brazilian is 7/4 at BoyleSports for another goal here.
Kaoru Mitoma started on the bench at Villa Park but I'd imagine the Brighton winger will be back in from the start for this one. He's 7/2 for anytime scorer at BoyleSports while Bet365 price him a tempting 2/1 to either score or assist.
Probable line-ups
Brighton still have plenty of injury problems, with Jack Hinshelwood, James Milner, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu, Danny Welbeck and Mats Wieffer set to miss out.
Kai Havertz is a doubt for Arsenal after a virus forced him to miss the win at Brentford, with boss Arteta hoping it hasn't spread to any other players. Jurrien Timber is suspended while Saka remains out injured along with Raheem Sterling, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Brighton and Hove Albion: Verbruggen, Lamptey, Dunk, Van Hecke, Julio, Minteh, Baleba, O'Riley, Mitoma, Rutter, J Pedro.
Arsenal: Raya, Partey, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus, Nwaneri.
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal's defence was rock solid earlier in the season but they've only kept one clean sheet in their four games and that came at home to Ipswich.
Brighton always carry a threat and BTTS pays just 8/13 but combining that with over 2.5 goals boosts the odds to 21/20 at BoyleSports.
The clash at the Emirates was pretty fiery earlier in the season with six yellows and one red flashed. It could be another busy day for the referee, with over 47.5 booking points paying 5/6 at Betfred.
Backing certain players to go in the book offers better odds and Seagulls stopper Jean Paul Van Hecke is 13/5 at BoyleSports for a fifth card this term. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will probably deputise at right-back in Timber's absence and he's 7/4 to fall foul of the referee.
This English Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal will be played on Jan 4, 2025 and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Brighton and Hove Albion vs Arsenal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
