Brighton Stun Champions Arsenal 3-0 to End Unbeaten Start
Brighton and Hove Albion ended Arsenal's perfect start to the season with a 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andrés scored for the hosts as the Premier League champions' title defence hit its first setback.
Arsenal had won their opening seven matches of the campaign, including all four league fixtures, before the defeat handed them their heaviest loss in three years, Reuters reported.
The result lifted Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton side into third place on 10 points, two behind Arsenal.
How Brighton Broke Arsenal Down
Gross put Brighton ahead in the 31st minute, beating goalkeeper David Raya with a low shot that went in off the post, Reuters reported. It was his fourth goal in five games.
Kostoulas doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time with a similar finish from a counter-attack, coming less than a minute after Bukayo Saka had gone close at the other end.
Andrés then headed in from close range early in the second half, punishing loose marking at a Gross corner, according to Reuters.
What Arteta Said
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta called it a really disappointing result and performance, telling Reuters that Brighton were another gear above his side and that Arsenal had been extremely poor technically and had not respected the game.
He said the gap showed in the basics.
Injuries Hit Both Squads
Brighton's goals came largely without their first-choice attack, according to the Guardian, which reported the hosts were missing key forwards through injury after selling last season's top scorer, Danny Welbeck, to Chelsea in the off-season.
Kostoulas, signed last year for £30 million, led the press that forced Arsenal into uncharacteristic errors, the Guardian reported.
Brighton were also without their own personnel. According to The Argus, captain Lewis Dunk missed out with a minor neck injury picked up in training on the Friday before the match.
On the Arsenal side, defender Jurriën Timber made his first start since March and looked short of sharpness, while Bruno Guimarães struggled on his first Premier League start for the club, the Guardian reported.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, recalled to the England squad that week, was not involved.
Anniversary Kit and the Table
Brighton wore a limited-edition dark blue kit to mark the club's 125th anniversary, based on their first season in Southern League Division Two in 1901.
The strip had drawn criticism after being sold for £150 with a letter of authenticity from owner Tony Bloom and a keyring, the Guardian reported.
Arsenal remain level with Manchester City on 12 points from five matches. Brighton sit third with 10 points and a league-leading 16 goals scored, per Reuters.