Mikel Arteta recalls "painful" Brighton defeat amid Arsenal 'revenge' theory

Mikel Arteta has conceded he has painful memories of Arsenal's last meeting with Brighton, which all but ended the Gunners title hopes last term.

The Seagulls make the trip to the Emirates on Sunday aiming to heap more misery on the north Londoners, knowing they have already got the better of Arsenal on their own patch once this year. At the back end of last season, when Arteta's side were aiming to end their lengthy wait for a title, their hopes were all but ended following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton.

The sight of Roberto De Zerbi's knee sliding on the Emirates turf while the away end went wild is clearly one that still sticks in the mind of Arteta, who has opened up on how difficult that defeat was to stomach. The Arsenal boss was asked whether that game will serve as motivation for Sunday's contest and whether his side will be out seeking revenge.

"It was a tough day, losing at home and the way we did it with the last goals we conceded. It was painful," the Spaniard conceded. "It was like the dream was almost over - not mathematically, but a big part of it. It was a really tough day."

Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League and could be top for at the very least a few hours if they do topple Brighton, before Liverpool will have the chance to reclaim top spot when they clash with Manchester United. Arteta may have one eye on that game at Anfield, given that is where the Gunners are heading next.

The festive fixture list is almost always hectic and Arteta has made clear he knows how important every game is within this period. “Like every week, in the end we have to play against every team," the Arsenal boss added.

"The schedule is what it is right now but we have two big games coming up and then we have