Potter tells Brighton to be Freddie for anything

BOSS Graham Potter has warned his Brighton side face a step into the unknown at Arsenal tonight.

Caretaker-boss Freddie Ljungberg takes his place in the Emirates dugout for the first time since replacing the sacked Unai Emery last week, a switch that has made it harder for Potter to plan for the game.

Ljungberg oversaw a 2-2 draw at Norwich on Sunday, when his side twice levelled through PierreEmerick Aubameyang, but Potter believes Arsenal are still adjusting to life after Arsene Wenger 18 months after his departure.

‘Arsenal are going through a transition after losing Mr Wenger, who had been there for over 20 years, and results haven’t gone as they would have liked with their previous coach,’ said Potter (pictured). ‘But they’re still a top club with highquality footballers and they will be looking for a positive reaction. ‘Freddie Ljungberg is in charge and knows the game well, so we’re expecting another difficult contest.

‘He has just had one game at Norwich, and will be looking to change some things again.

‘It’s not easy to second guess that, so we just need to focus on ourselves and make sure we’re at the level we need to be to get a result at a top football club.’

Potter is taking heart from the 2-1 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday when the league leaders were left hanging on for the points after Lewis Dunk scored for Brighton.

However, he is wary of the attacking threat posed by the likes of Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, even though the Gunners currently have a negative goal difference.

‘They’ve got wonderful attacking players with pace and creativity, including Aubameyang, Lacazette and Ozil,’ he said.

‘They have somebody that in one pass can kill you, and then you’ve got the other two that can stretch the defenders. Arsenal teams have always had great creativity and the ability to build from the back and create chances that way.

‘They’ve got some top players and we need to be respectful of that. But we want to be ourselves and take what we did well from the Liverpool match into this game.’

■ HECTOR BELLERIN’S hamstring injury will be assessed ahead of Freddie Ljungberg’s first home game in interim charge of Arsenal. Brighton are tonight’s visitors to the Emirates Stadium as Ljungberg looks to build on Sunday’s draw at Norwich. Bellerin (right) has missed the last two games but could return against the Seagulls, while fellow Spaniard Dani Ceballos is definitely out with his own hamstring complaint.