Arsenal take on Brighton as the aftermath of the frantic transfer deadline day is replaced by the Premier League action on the pitch. The Gunners completed the signing of Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling in the early hours of Saturday morning.
But Arsenal were dealt a blow ahead of the match with new signing Mikel Merino ruled out for a “few weeks” with a shoulder injury suffered during an innocuous challenge in training.
Arsenal have won three of their last four matches against Brighton, and will be looking to add to that and secure a ninth successive win for the first time since a spell during the ‘Invincibles’ season in 2003-04.
Mikel Arteta has set his ambitions high this season having been pipped to the title in two successive seasons by Manchester City, and both teams have won both matches to open the season.
Follow all the action in the live blog below
Arsenal vs Brighton LIVE
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Arsenal vs Brighton kicks off at 12.30pm BST in the Premier League, live on TNT
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Arsenal and Brighton have won both games so far this season
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Arsenal dealt a blow with Mikel Merino injury but sign Raheem Sterling
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Billy Gilmour joins Italian club Napoli in £12m deal
Arsenal FC – Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Raheem Sterling sends message to Arsenal fans after completing loan move from Chelsea
10:01 , Jamie Braidwood
Raheem Sterling shared a message to Arsenal fans after completing his loan move from Chelsea in the early hours of Saturday morning
The England winger, 29, completed a season-long loan move across the capital which was announced almost three hours after the Premier League transfer window closed.
“Hey Gooners, it’s Raheem here. Super excited to be signing for Arsenal and I can’t wait to see you all at the Emirates,” Sterling told fans in a social media message.
He had found himself frozen out at Chelsea under new manager Enzo Maresca, despite having three years remaining on his contract.
Arsenal capture Raheem Sterling with cut-price deal
09:45 , Jamie Braidwood
Raheem Sterling swapped Chelsea for Arsenal in the most eye-catching move of the day, after the winger had been told he was surplus to requirements by Blues manager Enzo Maresca.
The Independent understands that the move was completed after a deal sheet was submitted to the Premier League on time. Sterling joins Arsenal on loan until the end of the season after the clubs agreed there would be no fee and that his vast wages would be shared between them.
The winger escapes his Chelsea nightmare but still faces plenty of competition for a starting spot in the Arsenal team, with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard already competing for a place on the left wing.
Deadline day: Arsenal sign Raheem Sterling as Chelsea capture Jadon Sancho
Arsenal vs Brighton: Predicted line-ups
09:32 , Jamie Braidwood
Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Partey; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Milner, Baleba; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck.
Brighton team news
09:31 , Jamie Braidwood
New Brighton signing Matt O’Riley will require surgery on his ankle after injuring it on his debut in the Carabao Cup, while fellow new signing Ferdi Kadioglu could be in line to make his debut, with Valentin Barco having gone on loan and Jack Hinshelwood preferred at left-back against United.
Solly March has been ruled out, but Evan Ferguson and Pervis Estupinan could feature after their respective returns from injury. Mats Wieffer is another doubt. Billy Gilmour joined Napoli on transfer deadline day.
Arsenal team news
09:29 , Jamie Braidwood
In terms of injuries, Gabriel Jesus missed the win over Aston Villa with a groin problem, and he remains a doubt. Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are still unavailable.
New signing Mikel Merino was expected to be in the squad to make his Arsenal debut, though he is now likely to miss ‘weeks’ after the club detected a ‘small fracture’.
Several players will likely have left Arsenal by the time this game comes round too, with Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Aaron Ramsdale completing moves away. Raheem Sterling has joined on loan, but is unavailable from today’s squad.
When is Arsenal vs Brighton?
09:27 , Jamie Braidwood
Arsenal vs Brighton kicks off at 12.30pm BST on Saturday 31 August at the Emirates Stadium in London.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports. Subscribers will also be able to watch via the Discovery+ app and website.
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Arsenal vs Brighton
Friday 30 August 2024 14:54 , Sonia Twigg
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live build up and coverage of Arsenal vs Brighton in the Premier League.
After yesterday’s transfer deadline day chaos, we will be recapping all the action and the biggest transfers, as well as the latest news from the Emirates.
To start things off, one of the biggest moves was former number one Aaron Ramsdale leaving the Emirates for Southampton.
