Arsenal could close the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to three points with a win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

The Gunners make the trip to the Amex Stadium for the Saturday night fixture with Mikel Arteta's side handed the opportunity to put pressure on Arne Slot's squad. The Reds welcome Manchester United to Anfield on Sunday and are about to embark on a tricky looking run which includes away trips to Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Bournemouth.

The Gunners go into the clash at Brighton on the back of a dominant display against Brentford. Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli ensured the north Londoners came away from west London with a 3-1 victory.

READ MORE: Marcus Rashford drops fresh Manchester United transfer statement amid Arsenal link

READ MORE: Arsenal handed huge Declan Rice suspension boost as Mikel Arteta masterstroke pays off

"It's a very difficult place to come. Their record at home, the way they play, they cause issues to opponents, very impressive," Arteta said after the win.

"On top of that, we went a goal down and it became a big mountain to climb. I think the team showed a lot of composure, was very calm emotionally because we needed that in today's game and as well had the right desire to keep persisting, attacking them in the way that can cause them problems which is difficult. So overall I think we deserved to win the game."

With the fixture against Brighton coming just three days after the clash at Brentford, Arteta may be tempted to make a few changes to freshen things up. One possible change could come at left-back as it may be a big ask to play Riccardo Calafiori in back-to-back games so soon after returning from injury. Myles Lewis-Skelly and Oleksandr Zinchenko both came on from the bench against the Bees and are options for Arteta.

Into midfield and Declan Rice may be recalled to the starting XI. The England international was named on the bench against Brentford but you would think he comes back into the side against Brighton. Thomas Partey or Merino are the two who are most at risk of being left out.

Regarding the forward line, a lot may depend on the fitness of Kai Havertz. The former Chelsea man was left out of the squad entirely on New Year's Day due to illness and it's unclear at this time if the German will recover in time for Saturday.

"With Kai it was obvious [that he could not play against Brentford]. He wasn’t feeling well at all and he had very clear symptoms. So stay away from it, put him in a car, and go back to London," Arteta told reporters.

"These things happen. In this period, there are always things - throat, infections, viruses. So I try to delay the lineup as well, as far as possible, because you can get up in the morning and you can have a surprise unfortunately.”

If Havertz is fit, it could impact Ethan Nwaneri's role in the team. The teenager impressed against Brentford but Arteta has made it clear he does not want to put too much pressure on the Hale Ender. If Havertz does return to the side, Jesus could be moved out wide as the Brazilian's goalscoring form makes it hard to drop the former Man City star.

Possible Arsenal team vs Brighton: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino, Odegaard; Jesus, Havertz, Martinelli