Gunners’ unbeaten start ends at Amex as Brighton produce commanding display
Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the 2026/27 Premier League season on Saturday after Brighton & Hove Albion produced a dominant performance to beat the defending champions 3-0 at the Amex Stadium.
Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres were on target as Brighton capitalised on Arsenal’s defensive weaknesses to end the champions’ perfect league start.
The defeat brought Arsenal’s winning run to an abrupt end after they had opened the campaign strongly.
Brighton seize control
Brighton took the lead in the 31st minute when Gross found the breakthrough.
Kostoulas then doubled the hosts’ advantage shortly before half-time, leaving Arsenal with a significant deficit to overcome at the interval.
Andres completed the scoring in the 57th minute to put Brighton three goals ahead.
The Spanish midfielder’s goal was his first in the Premier League.
Despite Arsenal enjoying 60 per cent possession, the visitors struggled to turn that control into clear opportunities. Brighton registered five shots on target compared with Arsenal’s two.
Arsenal unable to respond
The result was particularly significant because Arsenal entered the match as defending champions and had established themselves among the early pace-setters.
Manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged after the match that Brighton had been the better side and pointed to technical mistakes and lost individual duels as major factors behind the defeat.
The result leaves Arsenal on 12 points from five matches, while Brighton moved to 10 points.
Manchester City remained top of the table on goal difference after four matches, with Arsenal second and Brighton third following Saturday’s result.
Brighton’s statement performance
For Brighton, the victory represented one of the strongest performances of the early season.
The hosts combined aggressive pressing with efficient finishing and repeatedly exposed gaps in Arsenal’s defensive structure.
The result also ended Arsenal’s immediate momentum and provided Brighton with a significant victory over the reigning champions.
Arsenal will now look to respond in their next fixture as the Premier League season enters its next phase.
