Jack Hinshelwood thinks Brighton can compete with Arsenal on Wednesday, believing the game comes at the right time for the hosts after an upturn in form.
Just a couple of weeks ago, an Arsenal visit to Brighton for a Premier League encounter would have seemed like something of a walk in the park.
From the start of December to mid-February, Brighton won one, drew six, and lost six of their Premier League matches, free-falling down the table from fifth to 14th.
Yet things have now improved, with back-to-back wins over Brentford and Nottingham Forest rebuilding the team’s self-belief ahead of a visit from Arsenal on Wednesday.
Speaking in quotes on the Brighton website, Jack Hinshelwood insisted that the team are now full of confidence for a visit from the Premier League leaders.
“I think we go into the game with massive confidence with our last two performances,” Hinshelwood said. “We know they possess good quality, but if we can do what we’ve done in the last two games and add a bit more on top, then I think we can more than compete with them and show what we’re about.
“You know when you play Arsenal that they possess set-piece strength, but they also possess great quality out wide, down the middle, all over the pitch.
“They’re top of the league for a reason, so we know we’re going to have to be on top of our game, and I’m sure we will be.
“We know on our day we can beat any team…our performances have turned a corner. We’re playing with a lot more confidence and belief that we can win games.”
It’s never good news to see an upcoming opponent winning matches ahead of your game against them, but at least it provides a reminder to Arsenal that they need to take the match seriously.
The Gunners can’t make the same mistake they made against Wolves last month, taking the lead and believing the game was done, only to let the result slip away.
Arsenal will get a break from the Premier League over the next week, with matches against Mansfield Town and Bayer Leverkusen coming up. The Gunners need to ensure they pause their league campaign on a high.