Brighton stun Arsenal 3-0 to end unbeaten start
Brighton beat Arsenal 3-0 to hand the champions their first Premier League defeat of the season. BBC Sport
The result lifted Brighton to third in the table. Arsenal stayed in the title race, but their perfect start was gone in one loud afternoon on the south coast.
Arsenal arrived as defending champions. They won the league last season for the first time in 22 years. They also arrived in form, with a seven-match winning run in all competitions this season and nine successive league wins stretching back to April. BBC Sport
This was a clash of strengths. Arsenal conceded the fewest goals of any side last season. They had let in only one goal in their first four league games this time, with David Raya in goal. Brighton, by contrast, are the league's top scorers with 16 goals. On this day, attack beat defence. Three times over.
Mikel Arteta did not hide. The Arsenal manager said he was "extremely disappointed" after the defeat. He said the opposition deserved to win, according to the club's record of his press conference. Arsenal.com
His wider message was blunt. "This is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level," Arteta said. He called it a lesson in how tough every Premier League game is, a league where each of the 20 clubs plays 38 matches and any slip can be punished. BBC Sport
Arsenal have had a heavy summer. The squad included 15 players who went to the World Cup. That brings minutes, travel and little rest. Arteta did not use it as an excuse. He kept the focus on Brighton and on his own side's level.
What makes this stand out is the swing. Arsenal had looked so controlled. Four league games, one goal conceded, wins stacking up. Brighton ripped that control away and scored three without reply. For a team that prides itself on defending, that will sting.
For fans, this means a new shape to the early season. Brighton sit third and carry the league's most dangerous attack. Arsenal must now show what champions do after a defeat. The next game comes quickly, and the response will tell us plenty.
