Mark Lawrenson claims clash against Brighton is the 'ideal game' for Arsenal to bounce back

Former Liverpool defender and pundit Mark Lawrenson has given his prediction for Arsenal's Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

He believes the Gunners will bounce back from their 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Monday with a win.

Lawrenson wrote in his column for BBC Sport:

"Arsenal kind of reverted to type in their defeat by Crystal Palace on Monday because they didn't just lose, they got taken apart. That must be a worry for Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, but this looks like the ideal game for his side to bounce back."

He added:

"Brighton ended their run of six consecutive defeats with a draw at Norwich last time out but they still can't score goals. They won't be rolled over, but I don't see them getting anything here."

Lawrenson predicted the scoreline for the match to be 2-0 in favor of Arsenal.

As Lawrenson mentioned, this could be a good fixture for Mikel Arteta's men to bounce back from their recent defeat. The team will look to gather some confidence as they head into a tough run of fixtures in the next couple of weeks.

The north London giants will next travel to St. Mary's Stadium to face Southampton. They will then face Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham United in succession.

Arsenal currently sit fifth in the table, level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners have an inferior goal difference (15-10) but still have a game in hand.

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Arsenal arguably have the toughest fixtures remaining in the race for the top four

Currently, the race for the Premier League top four is super tight between Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, West Ham United and Manchester United.

The first two sides are fourth and fifth respectively, both on 54 points. The Gunners have played 29 games to Spurs' 30.

Meanwhile, West Ham and Manchester United are sixth and seventh, respectively, both on 51 points. The Hammers have played 31 games, while the Red Devils have played 30.

Making predictions for who finishes in the fourth spot this season is not an easy task.

As mentioned earlier, Arsenal have a tough run of fixtures coming up. They face Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in their remaining nine matches. They will also travel to Newcastle and Southampton, both of which could be challenging fixtures.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will have to face Liverpool and Chelsea in addition to the Gunners. West Ham face Chelsea and Manchester City in their remaining games. Meanwhile, Spurs will have to face Liverpool at Anfield, in addition to the north London derby.

Based on fixtures, Spurs are arguably the favorites for fourth place. However, the game in hand could be crucial for the Gunners' chances of finishing in the Champions League spot.