‘Extremely poor’ Arsenal suffers crushing defeat amid early concerns
Overpowered and overrun, Arsenal were subjected to the sort of gruelling treatment they usually inflict on their opponents.
Mikel Arteta’s side did not look anything like Premier League champions here, as Brighton and Hove Albion produced a stunning performance full of swarming energy and breathless bravery.
Declan Rice of Arsenal frustrated after the loss. Getty
In the biggest test of their season so far, Arsenal fell woefully short of the standards they have set themselves over the past few campaigns, losing 3-0.
This sort of thing simply does not happen to Arteta’s side. Well, it did not happen. Not before this monstering on the south coast, where the Brighton fans were whipped into a frenzy by the brilliance of Fabian Hürzeler’s players.
Brighton were everything that Arsenal is expected to be: aggressive, inventive and dominant across the field. They even scored with a set-piece, as one of Arsenal’s great strengths became a sudden weakness.
Everywhere Arteta looked, the foundational truths of his team were being shaken by a Brighton storm. It was their first defeat by a three-goal margin since May 2023, also against Brighton.
Not for a long time have Arsenal been as rattled as they were here. David Raya misplaced passes, Gabriel Magalhães lost duels and Bruno Guimarães chased the ball in vain.
It was Brighton’s Pascal Gross, rather than Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, who shaped the game in midfield. It was Brighton’s Charalampos Kostoulas, rather than Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, who offered incisive class in attack.
Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal players failed to “respect the game” as their perfect start to the season was ended in stunning style by a brilliant Brighton performance.
Arsenal’s capitulation on the south coast led to their first defeat of the campaign and Arteta admitted that Brighton had a different “edge” and “bite” throughout the match. The Arsenal manager also said the 3-0 loss represented a “big lesson” for his players.
“There are certain basics you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League, that we were very far from,” Arteta said.
“From the first throw-in you could sense it, it was so clear.
“It was a really disappointing result and performance. Brighton were another gear up from us. We were extremely poor technically and were not respecting the game.
“It is not going to take away what the team has done in the last six or seven weeks since coming back from the World Cup. What we have done and the way we have competed, and the amount of games we have won, has been remarkable. But this is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level.”
Arteta added that his team did not “respect the principles of play” that were required against Brighton’s intense pressing, and also said his players were guilty of numerous technical errors.
“Credit to Brighton for what they have done because they have overcome us and they had another edge,” Arteta said.
“There are a lot of moments when the ball is 50/50 and it changes hands and most of the time it was for them.”
