Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Arsenal: Date, Time, Stream, TV Info, FA Cup Preview

Arsenal's bid to retain the FA Cup faces its first tricky test in the form of an away trip to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Championship outfit may be struggling for consistency in the league, but in new boss Chris Hughton, the Seagulls have a manager who's frustrated Arsenal in the past.

This time, he'll have to contend with returning Gunners stars Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott. The pair will stake their respective claims to return to a team that has recently looked more balanced and efficient without them.

Here are all of the schedule and viewing details:

Date: Sunday, January 25, 2014

Time: 4 p.m. (GMT) / 11 a.m. (ET)

TV: BT Sport 1 / Fox Sports 2

Stream: Watch BT Sport. FoxSoccer2Go.

Preview

Arsenal may have already inadvertently provided Albion with some extra motivation. Daily Express reporter Tony Banks describes how an ill-timed tweet could stir the competitive shackles of Brighton's players:

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Arsenal's social media staff invited fans to win tickets for the last 16 of the competition by posting photographs of their FA Cup experiences.

The club swiftly deleted the tweet as they realised their blunder having come in for flak from their own fans as well.

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Banks notes how some Brighton players, including defender Gordon Greer, have let the Gunners know they'll be in for a fight. Of course, Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger should be concerned by the Hughton effect at the Amex Stadium.

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

Hughton scored a pair of 1-0 wins over Wenger in the past. He won at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium when in charge of Newcastle United back in November 2010. Hughton also left the Gunners seething when he guided Norwich City to a famous win by the same score in October 2012.

A key to Hughton's stifling approach this time could well be a back five, per this report from KickOff.co.uk. Hughton has used it in recent matches and found success, most recently in the 3-2 win over Ipswich Town.

Meanwhile, striker Sam Baldock doesn't seem to think Brighton will be too cagey against a Premier League foe. He believes the confidence created by recent results, along with the less-pressure environment of the cup, will be a big help, per Seagulls.co.uk writer James Hilsum.

But Brighton's chances will hinge on their ability to control Ozil and Walcott. The former has rarely hit the heights after signing for a club record £42.4 million in 2013.

Ozil has often struggled to adapt to playing out wide. But that's something he may have to do again, per Paul Doyle of The Guardian.

Ozil craves a central role as Arsenal's No. 10. The problem is Spaniard Santi Cazorla has been flourishing in those spaces during Ozil's lengthy injury enforced absence.

Wenger faces a tough dilemma accommodating two cerebral wanderers in his midfield. It's a problem Barney Ronay of the Guardian believes may eventually be solved by removing Ozil altogether.

Of course, this dilemma may not even present itself at the Amex Stadium. Wenger may well rest Cazorla and give Ozil the chance to show what he can do in his preferred position.

Wherever he plays, the languid German playmaker will look to release Walcott's incredible pace. Ozil's eye for a defence-splitting pass and Walcott's lightning-fast runs between defensive gaps is a combination that can still work wonders for Arsenal this season.

Ian Walton/Getty Images

If that combination fires at the Amex, Arsenal will go through.

Prediction: Brighton 1-2 Arsenal. Things were close when Arsenal won 3-2 at this stage in 2013. This time, the Gunners will survive an initial scare and some sustained pressure before making their class count.

Wenger's attacking options will ultimately prove their worth.