Arsenal’s perfect start to their English Premier League title defence came off the rails in a 0-3 trouncing by Brighton & Hove Albion here on Saturday.
‘s men arrived on the south coast in formidable form having won all seven games in all competitions this season.
But it was Brighton’s fine start to the campaign that was maintained as goals from Pascal Gross (31st min), Charalampos Kostoulas (45th min) and Chema Andres (57th min) breached the Gunners’s normally impenetrable defence.
It is the third consecutive season that the Premier League champions have lost at the Amex after Liverpool and in the past two years.
Brighton were full of confidence after becoming the first side in 50 years to come from 0-2 down to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in the English Football League Cup in midweek.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side went at Arsenal from the start but had to wait until 31 minutes for the opener when Gross crashed a shot in off the inside of the post.
Arsenal were punished for allowing too much space on the edge of their area again just before half-time when Kostoulas this time picked his spot to beat David Raya.
Rather than a rousing second-half response, the visitors fell further behind on the hour mark as Andres was afforded the space to head in Gross’s corner inside the six-yard box for Brighton’s 16th goal in five league games this season.
The defeat is Arsenal’s heaviest in any competition since April 2023.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls now sit in third place in the EPL table, with 10 points from five games (three wins, one draw and one loss).
Other Results
Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa
Everton 1-0 Ipswich
Newcastle 2-1 Hull City