Brighton beat Arsenal 3-0 on the south coast, inflicting a first defeat on the champions in the Premier League this season. The victory moved Brighton to third place in the table.
Arsenal entered the match with nine consecutive league victories, following seven wins at the start of the season across all competitions. Last season, Arsenal won the title for the first time in 22 years, and in defence, they were the best in the league, conceding the fewest goals of any team. Goalkeeper David Raya had conceded just one goal in the first four league matches prior to Saturday's defeat.
Mikel Arteta stated that the defeat was 'a great lesson' and that Brighton had 'earned' the victory. 'I am extremely disappointed,' said Arteta, adding that his side was 'far from' the basics. He cited lack of security in defence, loss of control in midfield, and a lack of creative attack in the attack. He highlighted that Brighton were 'really good', that the majority of 50-50 balls went to Brighton, and that technical errors had opened up Arsenal to a difficult situation. He noted that the previous season's team had not lost by more than one goal in the league, while Arsenal had 15 players at the World Cup.
Alan Shearer stated that Brighton 'absolutely dismantled' Arsenal, suggesting they could have scored six or seven goals. According to Shearer, Brighton won every ball, acting as a team rather than individually, not giving Arsenal space to play, with an excellent organisation. The manager, Fabian Hurzeler, was also praised for his organisation. Brighton are currently the top scorers in the Premier League with 16 goals, having scored eight in the last week.
Arsenal were trailing 2-0 at half-time, and had not recovered to win a league match since March 2008 against Bolton. Curtis Davies stated that Arsenal's form this season had been good, but this was a 'really shocking performance'. The defence, he felt, was not close to their usual level, with a conceded goal from a set-piece being a disappointment, and Arsenal 'not even touching' Brighton. It is recalled that Arsenal spent around £200 million in the summer transfer window.
