RismadarVoice Reporters
September 19, 2026
Arsenal’s perfect start to the new Premier League season came to a dramatic end on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion produced a dominant performance to defeat the defending champions 3-0.
Brighton marked their 125th anniversary in style, overwhelming Mikel Arteta’s side with an aggressive press, midfield intensity and clinical finishing.
The hosts established control before half-time through long-range goals from Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas, leaving Arsenal facing a two-goal deficit at the break.
Chema Andres effectively settled the contest early in the second half, heading home an inswinging corner from Gross to make it 3-0.
BRIGHTON OVERPOWER CHAMPIONS
Fabian Hurzeler’s side repeatedly disrupted Arsenal’s attempts to build from the back, with Yasin Ayari and Gross driving Brighton’s midfield press.
Diego Gomez and Maxim de Cuyper also contributed to the hosts’ high-intensity approach, while Luka Vuskovic helped Brighton deal with Arsenal’s attempts to bypass the press with longer passes.
The strategy restricted Arsenal’s ability to establish sustained possession in dangerous areas and allowed Brighton to dictate large periods of the contest.
ARSENAL DEFENCE EXPOSED
The result represented a sharp departure from Arsenal’s defensive form at the start of the campaign.
Having conceded only once in the Premier League before the match, Arteta’s side allowed three goals as Brighton repeatedly exploited space around the Arsenal defence.
The visitors were slow to close down both first-half goals and struggled with their marking when Andres converted from the set-piece after the interval.
Arsenal also found it difficult to progress the ball through Brighton’s pressure and created little in response as the hosts protected their advantage.
The 3-0 defeat ends Arsenal’s perfect record across all competitions and hands Arteta his first major setback of the new campaign.
For Brighton, the victory provided a memorable anniversary result and an emphatic statement against the reigning Premier League champions.
