Arsenal's perfect defence of their Premier League title came apart at the Amex Stadium on Saturday as Brighton beat them 3-0, with goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres inflicting the champions' heaviest top-flight defeat in three years.
Gross broke the deadlock with a long-range effort on 31 minutes, and Kostoulas doubled the advantage with a fierce strike from distance right on the stroke of half-time. Andres then headed home from a Gross corner in the 57th minute to seal a result that ended Arsenal's run of eight consecutive Premier League victories.
Brighton were dominant from first to last. Opta recorded that the hosts won possession in the final third nine times — the second-highest total by any side in a Premier League game this season and the most recorded against Arsenal in any match across either this campaign or last. Their tally of 16 goals is the highest by any Premier League side through five games since Manchester City managed 19 at the start of 2022-23.
Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle United for £75 million in the summer, lost possession as early as the seventh minute and was hooked on the hour mark, replaced by Mikel Merino. Arteta acknowledged that the midfield pairing of Guimaraes and Declan Rice, which had worked against Sunderland the previous weekend, did not function on this occasion, saying the relationship between the two was still in its early stages and would improve.
Arteta said he sensed trouble almost immediately. "From the first throw-in, you could sense it, it was so clear," he told reporters. "We put ourselves in trouble one time, two times, three times. That's one of the biggest lessons we have to take from this game. We know what it takes to win every match — and we know what it's going to take to win against Leeds when we come back. That doesn't take away the disappointment that we feel right now."
Guimaraes did not conceal his frustration, saying that every player in the dressing room had been critical of themselves and describing the performance as unacceptable. He called it a day to forget in which everything Arsenal tried came to nothing.
Gross, involved in six goals across his previous three matches, also set up the third with the corner that Andres converted. Fabian Hurzeler, the youngest manager in the Premier League, described the victory as special — not because of the result alone but because of the performance, with his players showing togetherness and intensity throughout.
Alan Shearer, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said Brighton had absolutely battered Arsenal and that the scoreline should have been heavier given the chances the home side created. The win lifted Brighton provisionally to third, two points behind Manchester City, who host Sunderland on Sunday.
Arsenal are second in the table on goal difference, their record of six wins from six now replaced by the reality of a title race that looks considerably more open.
Reporting: GiveMeSport, Football.London, The Sun, BBC Sport, RTÉ, Evening Standard, talkSPORT, ESPN, CaughtOffside, Metro, Mirror, Sky Sports, Daily Mail, CBS Sports.