By Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt halt on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions at the Amex Stadium.
Mikel Arteta’s side had gone into the fixture having won all four of their opening league matches and remained unbeaten across all seven competitive games this season, but a dominant Brighton performance handed the Gunners their first defeat of the campaign.
Pascal Gross broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with a strike from the edge of the box, giving the hosts an early lead. Brighton doubled their advantage just before the interval when Charalampos Kostoulas added a second with another effort from distance, sending Arsenal into the break facing a two goal deficit.
The Seagulls kept up the pressure after the restart and extended their lead further in the 57th minute, with Chema Andres heading home to make it 3-0. Arsenal struggled to find a way back into the game as Brighton continued to dictate the pace and create the more dangerous chances through the rest of the match.
The defeat marks a significant setback for Arsenal following their strong start to the season. Prior to this match, the Gunners had beaten Manchester United, Leeds United, Chelsea and Sunderland in the league, while also picking up wins over Napoli in the Champions League and Ipswich Town in the League Cup.
For Brighton, the result continues an encouraging run under manager Fabian Hurzeler. The club had previously thrashed Coventry City 5-0 in the Premier League and beaten Manchester United 3-2 in the League Cup heading into this fixture.
Saturday’s win also ended Brighton’s losing run against Arsenal at the Amex, reversing the Gunners’ 1-0 victory at the same venue back in March.
Arsenal will now head into the international break to regroup, their previously unbeaten league record now broken after five matches.
