Brighton vs Arsenal Review
Brighton stunned Arsenal with a 3-0 victory at the Amex Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten home record this season (3 wins, 1 draw). Encouraged by their strong performance on home ground, the Seagulls started aggressively, with Ferdi Kadıoğlu firing over the goal within the first three minutes. Charalampos Kostoulas was particularly active in the first half, forcing David Raya into a sharp save with a well-placed shot from the edge of the penalty area. Arsenal also had opportunities, with Bruno Guimarães hitting the side netting from a tight angle.
Nevertheless, the Gunners’ strong defense was broken just after the 30-minute mark by an excellent shot from Pascal Groß. The midfielder curled the ball beyond Raya’s reach from outside the box, scoring his third league goal of the season. Bukayo Saka had a chance to equalize for the Gunners just before halftime after a quick counterattack left the ball at his feet inside the box, but he only managed to send his shot straight into Bart Verbruggen’s hands. The goalkeeper then launched Brighton’s next attack, and surprisingly, they doubled their lead before the break.
Kostoulas was left unmarked, allowing him to attempt a long-range shot that flew into the bottom corner. Arsenal was the only team to win the second half in their first four Premier League matches this season, but the Gunners needed to score at least three goals to maintain their perfect record of seven wins across all competitions. That unlikely task soon became impossible as Brighton scored a third goal, this time from a corner, something Arsenal had scored many from last season. Groß, who recorded his 50th assist against Coventry City last weekend, added his 51st with an inswinging cross that Chema Andrés met with a powerful header for his first goal for the Seagulls.
The champions were clearly unsettled, and another corner from the opposite side caused them trouble when Pascal Struijk’s header narrowly missed at the near post. Surprisingly, Arsenal have yet to score from a set piece this season, but they had a chance to get a consolation goal when Riccardo Calafiori directed a header just wide at the near post. Substitute Viktor Gyökeres then played a through ball to his strike partner Kai Havertz, but Verbruggen extended his leg to maintain a clean sheet. Raya also made a signature world-class save to block Matt O’Riley’s close-range attempt late in the game, as Brighton pushed for a fourth goal.
Ultimately, the score remained three, but the Seagulls have now won their last three home league games against the current Premier League champions and climbed to third place ahead of the international break. Arsenal sit just above them in second, due to a lower goal difference compared to leaders Manchester City, with their streak of nine consecutive league wins dating back to last season coming to an end.
