MX23RW : Tuesday, December 25 07:01:42
Dec 26, 2018 at 5.15pm UK at ​Falmer Stadium
BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion
vs.
Arsenal

Hughton hopes Brighton can replicate last season's 'breakthrough' Arsenal win

Hughton hopes Brighton can replicate last season's 'breakthrough' Arsenal win
© Reuters
Brighton have lost their last three matches.

Chris Hughton is hoping for a repeat of Brighton's "breakthrough" when Arsenal return to the Amex Stadium on Boxing Day.

Brighton ended their wait for a victory over one of the Premier League's top six last season when goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray secured a 2-1 home victory over the Gunners in March.

Now in their second Premier League campaign, the Seagulls have lost their last three matches and find themselves in need of some festive cheer.

And Hughton hopes the memories of that victory, a crucial one in their successful survival bid, will inspire his side.

"Having won promotion the summer beforehand, one thing we were very conscious of was how difficult it is to play against the top six," said the Seagulls boss at his pre-match press conference.

"It was a breakthrough for us. You look at pivotal moments in any season — one was getting our first win at the Amex, then our first away win and then our first win against a top-six team.

"We'd found it difficult – we played Manchester City on the first day of the season and that was a very tough game, and Chelsea was a difficult game as well.

"The Arsenal win was a fairly significant moment for us and one that we deserved."

Defeats to Burnley, Chelsea and Bournemouth may have dented confidence on the south coast but Hughton has backed his side to come through their testing schedule.

"When you're Brighton in the Premier League, only in your second season, every period for us is a tricky period. Every game that we play is a difficult game," he added.

"We're going through a period of games in a short period of time, and we'll have to play at a level to get something from the matches.

"For any tough period that you think you're going through, it's exactly the same for a huge number of other teams.

"We just need to make sure that we prepare ourselves in the best way we can and endeavour to get as many points as we can."

Shane Duffy returns from suspension against the Gunners but fellow centre-half Dunk serves a one-match ban.


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Brighton & Hove Albion's Pascal Gross converts from the penalty spot against Manchester United's David de Gea on August 19, 2018
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1815303973248
2Manchester CityMan City18142250133744
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs18140437181942
4Chelsea18114335152037
5Arsenal18114340241637
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd188553430429
7Watford188372525027
8Bournemouth188282728-126
9Leicester CityLeicester187472221125
10Wolverhampton WanderersWolves187471921-225
11Everton186662628-224
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham187382527-224
13Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton186392026-621
14Crystal Palace1853101725-818
15Newcastle UnitedNewcastle184591422-817
16Southampton183691933-1415
17Cardiff CityCardiff1842121838-2014
18Burnley1833121636-2012
19Huddersfield TownHuddersfield1824121131-2010
20Fulham1824121642-2610

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