Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

The FA Cup

Sunday, January 25, 2015

8AM PT/11AM ET/4PM BT

American Express Community Stadium, Falmer, Sussex

FORM: ARS It's the Cup | BHA form doesn't matter

US TV: Fox Sports 2, foxsoccer2go | Worldwide TV listings livesoccer.tv

Here we are again, everyone piling into the trusty Arsebus and trundling down the A23 to Brighton and Hove, home of Brighton Pier, Brighton Racecourse, and of course, what self-respecting visitor could get down to the south coast and miss the Booth Museum of Natural History?

Arsenal will attempt to tear themselves away from the range of leisure activities offered by London-by-the-sea and head over to Falmer to take on Brighton & Hove Albion. What's an Albion? It's the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain. Anyway.  Brighton are currently 19th in the 24-team Championship, with a -5 GD.

I will admit to knowing pretty much nothing about Brighton; the fact that they're 19th in the Championship meant that they parted ways with manager Sami Hyypia just before Christmas, and replaced him with Chris Hughton, under whom they have yet to lose - a fact that loses just a bit of its luster when you realize that's only two games, one of which was the third round of the FA Cup, but considering Hughton's first job is to make Brighton safe from relegation, a win in his first league game is a very good start.

Meanwhile, back in the Arsenal camp, it looks like Theo and Mesut will get a start as they continue their long journey back to full health.  I wouldn't bet against Szcz making a return to the starting eleven, either, but otherwise it won't be a parade of kids, as Wenger wants to keep the good league momentum rolling and give Arsenal a chance to be drawn against Cambridge United in the next round.