Brighton Hand Arsenal Its First Defeat in a 3-0 Amex Rout

BRIGHTON, England — Brighton & Hove Albion opened the scoring through Pascal Gross and built a 2-0 advantage before halftime at the Amex Stadium, controlling the match from the opening whistle.

Arsenal was pressed deep into its own defensive zone throughout the opening half hour, and Brighton added a third goal after the break through Charalampos Kostoulas. Chema Andres also scored as the hosts completed a 3-0 win on the south coast.

The result gave Arsenal its first defeat of the season and ended its unbeaten run across all competitions as domestic leagues pause for the extended FIFA international window.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pointed to technical mistakes and tactical lapses across the squad in his post-match interviews. “[It was] a really disappointing result and performance,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “Brighton were another gear up from us. We were extremely poor technically and not respecting the game.”

Brighton’s victory secured all three points and completed a shutout against the defending Premier League champions, who were also the previous season’s UEFA Champions League runners-up.

Arsenal was unable to organize a response after halftime, allowing Brighton to add its third goal and finish the match with a 3-0 result.

Arteta said the loss should become an immediate correction point for Arsenal as the autumn schedule approaches. “Credit to Brighton. They went up another gear. It’s a big lesson to learn,” Arteta said. “It doesn’t take away from what the team has done the last few weeks. But now we have to make sure we learn the lesson because this can happen again.”

Arsenal will return to action on Oct. 10, hosting Leeds United at Emirates Stadium in Premier League play. Three days later, on Oct. 13, Arsenal will host French club Lille in the UEFA Champions League group stage.