Arsenal press conference LIVE - Mikel Arteta on Brighton, Timber, White and Hurzeler drama

· FootballLondon

Live coverage of Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Brighton in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta faces the media ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Brighton in the Premier League at the Amex Stadium. The Gunners boss wants to keep up his side’s perfect record but faces a stern test.

The Seagulls have just knocked Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford, but did so at the cost of one fewer day of recovery compared to Arsenal who won comfortably at Ipswich Town on Tuesday evening. Missing the game were five senior defenders who the Gunners boss will hopefully provide some more clarification on.

The most attention is on the right back position after both Ben White and Jurrien Timber missed the game. The fixture reunites Arteta with Fabian Hurzeler after the pair had a frenetic meeting in last season’s match on the south coast.

Our Arsenal reporter Tom Canton is at the Sobha Realty Training Centre in London Colney for football.london to provide all the updates…

Should Mikel Merino become Arsenal's second-choice striker after Viktor Gyokeres disaster?

Viktor Gyokeres is yet to score a goal this season for Arsenal, and before playing the entire game against Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, had just 100 minutes to his name in which he’d done little to convince Mikel Arteta he deserved more. After the Carabao Cup clash, that situation has not changed; if anything, it has worsened.

Kai Havertz has been the undisputed number one to lead the Arsenal title defence this season, despite the Swede being the top scorer during the campaign in which they ended a 22-year wait to lift the Premier League crown. The German already has three goals this season, two in the league and one in the FA Community Shield.

Gyokeres was handed the chance on Tuesday to stake a claim, but his performance was widely criticised with some accusations of a lack of fight. He had just two touches in the opponent’s penalty area in a game where the Gunners scored four goals from 12 shots, only one of which was Gyokeres, a tamely struck attempt into the arms of Christian Hason.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to football.london's coverage of Mikel Arteta's pre-match press conference.

Our Arsenal reporter, Tom Canton, is in attendance to bring all the latest updates. Quotes to follow...

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