WSL Match preview: Arsenal vs Brighton

Image: Beth Mead and Katie McCabe celebrating after they go ahead against Brighton and Hove Albion. Credit: Eurosport

By Finley Chung (07/11/2024)

The bright lights of the WSL roll back into N5 again on Friday evening as Renee Slegers’ Arsenal side takes on Dario Vidusic’s Brighton and Hove Albion.

The visitors to the Emirates on Friday night are an opponent that Arsenal have never dropped points against in their previous thirteen meetings, but this is a different Brighton, only one defeat this season in the league, a squad bursting with exciting young talent, this will certainly be a challenge for Slegers and Arsenal.

Last Game

Both sides returned from the international break last weekend with fairly contrasting results in a return to domestic action. 

The Seagulls eventually got the better of a resolute Leicester City side with a 1-0 win thanks to Nikita Parris’ fourth goal in four matches for the south coast club, with Arsenal labouring to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United up at Leigh Sports Village. 

Alessia Russo, rather expectantly gave Arsenal the lead in the second half, but they were pegged back thanks to a Melvine Malard goal eight minutes from time to rescue a point, just as she did in the very same fixture last season. 

Last Meeting

The last time these two sides met in the WSL was an emotional occasion for those connected with Arsenal Football Club, with the Gunners waving goodbye to a modern day great in Vivianne Miedema. 

The Dutch international did get her fairytale farewell, coming off the bench and scoring the third in a 5-0 win for the Gunners, getting an emotional goodbye in front of the adoring Gunners faithful.

Frida Maanum, a Alessia Russo brace and a Jocelyn Cabral own goal condemned Brighton to a miserable final day defeat last season, with the Albion not scoring against Arsenal since January 2022, when Emma Koivisto, now of AC Milan, being the last Brighton player to score against Arsenal. 

Key Players

Arsenal - Mariona Caldentey 

The Spaniard has hit the ground running and then some since her summer arrival from Barcelona, endearing herself so much to the Arsenal fans, that she mow has one of the best chants in the WSL, Shake it Caldentey, to the tune of Twist n Shout by The Beatles. 

She turned in a sparkling performance against Valerenga in the Champions League a fortnight ago, also scoring the first of the Renee Slegers era in the league against West Ham in a 2-0, her numbers away from goals and assists are jaw dropping to say the very least. 

83% accurate pass ratio and 4.2 ball recoveries per game showcase the Number 8s all action nature, having started all but one of Arsenal’s six matches in the WSL too, and averaging around 78 minutes played so far this season, you know you’re going to get a minimum 7/10 from Arsenal’s loveable Spaniard. 

Brighton - Vicky Losada

In keeping with the Spanish engine room love in, Vicky Losada has been the equivalent of the Duracell bunny for Brighton this season, with her last three games producing arguably some of her best performances in a Brighton shirt. 

5.5 ball recoveries per game, only making one error which led to a shot and accurately completing 88% of her passes each game, Losada is the definition of the technician, who gets the ball and allows other members of side to flourish, by keeping the ball ticking over and being a link player for her team mates. 

If these two hit the form we know they can, we could be in for one hell of a midfield battle under the night sky on Friday at the Emirates.