Brighton & Hove Albion delivered a statement 3-0 victory over reigning champions Arsenal on the south coast. The result handed Mikel Arteta's side their first Premier League defeat of the season and lifted the Seagulls to third in the table.
Mikel Arteta said he was extremely disappointed with his team's display. The Arsenal manager acknowledged Brighton deserved their success and called the loss a big lesson for everyone at the club. "Well, the first one because Brighton they were really good, and they had another bite, and at the times it was better," Arteta said.
Brighton took a 2-0 lead into halftime through goals from Pascal Groß and Charalampos Kostoulas. Chema Andrés added a third just before the hour mark to complete the scoring. The win means Brighton have now taken 10 points from their opening five league matches, putting them just two points behind leaders Manchester City.
Shearer's praise for Hurzeler
Former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, was effusive in his praise for Brighton's performance. "They absolutely battered Arsenal. How many times have we said that recently?" Shearer said. He suggested the margin of victory could have been even greater, crediting manager Fabian Hurzeler for his side's organisation.
The result represents Arsenal's heaviest defeat in a season where they were reigning top-flight champions since 1989. They had conceded only one goal in their first four league games before facing Brighton's potent attack. The Seagulls are now the Premier League's top scorers with 16 goals, eight of which have come in the past week alone. This offensive form is detailed on the club's stats page.
Context of the win
Brighton's victory continues an impressive run of form that includes a 3-2 comeback win at Manchester United and a 5-0 thrashing of Coventry. Their only recent setback was a 1-1 draw with Leeds. The team faces a lengthy injury list ahead of the international break, with Evan Ferguson, Kaoru Mitoma, and Yankuba Minteh among those currently sidelined. The full list of unavailable players is on the injuries page.
Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies, also on BBC Radio 5 Live, viewed the result as a blip for Arsenal. He said their defence was nowhere near its usual standard and that they failed to lay a glove on Brighton throughout the match. Arsenal had not lost by more than a single goal in the entire previous league campaign.
Brighton's next fixture is away to Sunderland on 10 October. Sunderland currently sit 14th in the table. The Seagulls will look to continue their three-game winning run after the international interval.
The report in full is at BBC Sport Football
