Brighton 3-0 Arsenal: Seagulls soar to see off champions in style

Premier League champions Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, as they were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas gave the hosts a two-goal lead going into the break before Chema Andres added a third to compound Mikel Arteta’s side – who were put under pressure from the off – to a miserable afternoon on the south coast.

The result moves the Seagulls up to third in the table, while the Gunners sit in second, remaining level on points with rivals Manchester City but having played one game more.

Brighton race into early lead

The hosts, who began the day the league’s top scorers, began brightly, with Charalampos Kostoulas forcing an early save from David Raya following Bruno Guimaraes’ error.

The champions struggled to venture out of their half during the opening stages, with Raya looking uncharacteristically shaky between the sticks.

Arteta’s side eventually found their feet but just as it looked like the Gunners were about the assert their dominance, they were pegged back when Gross netted a stunner from outside the box.

The goal only injected further confidence into the hosts, who took less than 15 minutes to double their advantage.

On the stroke of half-time, Kostoulas was given far too much room on the edge of the area and the Greek international drilled home an impressive strike.

More misery for Gunners

Despite the challenge on their hands, Arteta opted to make no changes at the break, hoping his starting XI could dig themselves out of a hole during the second period.

But it was Brighton who looked most like extending their lead after the restart – Kostoulas again amongst the action when the teenager steered an effort just wide of the goal.

And sure enough, the hosts did find a third soon after when an unmarked Andres headed home on his first Premier League start to add further sheen to Brighton’s day.

The Seagulls were hungry for more. Pascal Struijk nodded agonisingly wide from a corner after more wobbly defending by Arsenal, who were staring down the barrel of only a second defeat by more than one goal in over a season.

Arteta rang the changes, but it had little influence on the outcome. Kai Havertz was denied by Bart Verbruggen before, at the other end, Matt O’Riley went close to making it four but Raya was equal to the midfielder’s header.

In the end, the champions could have few complaints. Brighton were excellent, laying down a statement of intent to the rest of the top flight.

The Premier League Table

Upcoming fixtures for Brighton and Arsenal

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