Brighton and Hove Albion host Arsenal in one of the better FA Cup fourth-round ties on Sunday. Chris Hughton's men warmed up for the game by beating Championship promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town 3-2 on Wednesday, but are the Gunners a step too far? Even with a 2-0 victory against Hull City in a rematch of a FA Cup final at Wembley, some improvements have to be made in Arsene Wenger's side.
The French manager has the chance to rotate a deep squad and welcome several new figures back into the starting eleven. Danny Welbeck may not be fit, so Olivier Giroud should feature, while Theo Walcott might expect some game-time. Even with the signings of Gabriel and Krystian Bielik, who can't play for 3 weeks, Arsenal should not be that worried. An example of that would be the fact that Mesut Ozil has returned to the team after months out with ligament damage and could possibly start.
Mathieu Flamini may be given a chance to prove his worth in midfield; though it's highly unlikely he'll do anything when comparing him and Francis Coquelin inside 90 minutes, such is his recent track record of poor showings.
Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin will likely both line up, while Arsene Wenger must decide between the impressive David Ospina, rookie Damian Martinez and Wojciech Szczesny for a place in goal.
Brighton on the other hand are looking to provide another shock in the spirit of the FA Cup to knock out the defending champions. Craig Mackail-Smith, the record signing for the club (£2.5 million) and first-choice striker, has one league goal in 16 total games while Lewis Dunk, the team's 23-year-old centre-back, has six in all competitions and leads the side.
Pre-match comments:
"The best XI I have in my head can change every week. We are in a world where competition is vital and competition is just down to performance in the last game.'' - Arsene Wenger
"I am sure our players, having won it last year, will want to hold on to the trophy, so it is important to start well.'' - Theo Walcott