Report: Brighton 3-0 Arsenal (inc. goals)
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori, Guimaraes, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Tzolis, Havertz.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Merino, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Eze, Madueke, Dowman, Gyokeres.
Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season ended as ruthless Brighton ran out 3-0 winners at the Amex.
Pascal Gross and Charalampas Kostoulas did much of the damage in the first half, both firing home from range, before Chema Andres added gloss to the scoreline with a header from a corner.
For the Gunners, this was a humbling afternoon. A win would have seen them match their best start to a season in 123 years. Instead, they were sent home with their tails between their legs and, with the international break now upon us, three weeks to dwell on what went wrong.
First Half
Coming into the game on the back of seven consecutive wins, Arsenal should have had a swagger about them. Instead, they produced their meekest 45-minute performance in recent memory.
Bruno Guimaraes and Jurrien Timber both came into the side for their first Premier League starts of the season, the only changes from last weekend’s 2-0 win at Sunderland.
Brighton started quickly, pressing high and making it difficult for Arsenal to settle. David Raya twice passed straight into touch early on, while Bruno gave the ball away cheaply in a move that ended with Kostoulas forcing the goalkeeper into a save.
After a sustained spell of possession helped Arsenal settle, there were signs of encouragement down the right. Bukayo Saka and Bruno both got in behind, while Riccardo Calafiori saw a header blocked following a Saka cross.
That was about as good as it got. On 31 minutes, the home side took the lead through Pascal Gross. Afforded far too much time on the edge of the box, the in-form German curled a low effort inside Raya’s near post. (GOAL)
The defending left much to be desired, but Arsenal refused to learn their lesson. Kostoulas wasted a good opportunity when left in acres of space, while Yasin Ayari found the side-netting from close range.
Arsenal’s frustration continued and, after Martin Odegaard had a shot flicked goalwards by Saka following a quick counter, Brighton immediately went up the other end and doubled their advantage. Kostoulas was again given too much room and lashed a shot between Ezri Konsa and Gabriel from 20 yards. (GOAL)
It capped an awful half from Arsenal, who were out-thought and out-fought across the pitch. A real wake-up call.
Second Half
With a mountain to climb, you might have expected Arteta to make changes. Instead, the same XI were sent out to rectify a situation entirely of their own making. Raya kicking the ball straight out of play inside 30 seconds did little to suggest much was about to change.
Saka won a couple of early corners, but the body language was all wrong. Nobody looked particularly up for the fight and, when the commentators pointed out it was 2008 the last time Arsenal overturned a two-goal half-time deficit, the scale of the task became clear.
Things soon got worse. A frustrated Havertz dropped deep looking for the ball, lost possession and conceded a corner. From the resulting delivery, Chema Andres climbed highest at the back post and headed in off the upright. Arsenal looked shell-shocked. (GOAL)
Arteta finally turned to his bench, hooking Bruno Guimaraes and Jurrien Timber. Declan Rice shifted to right-back, with World Cup winners Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi taking over in midfield.
Brighton didn’t let up. They seemed to win every fifty-fifty and Arsenal could barely get beyond halfway. Pascal Strujik came inches from adding a fourth from another corner as Raya flapped at thin air.
Usually you’d expect Arteta to be raging on the touchline. With 20 minutes remaining, he just looked resigned. Calafiori flicking a header over was greeted with jeers before Odegaard and Tzolis made way for Eze and Gyokeres. The Swede’s first touch was a handball.
Arsenal eventually fashioned chances to reduce the deficit. Saka hesitated before seeing a shot blocked, while Havertz was played clean through only to shoot straight at Verbruggen. There’s no sugarcoating it, it was a bad miss.
At the other end, substitute Rutter diverted an effort just over Raya’s bar and Raya twice denied O’Riley – the latter a very decent stop. A late booking for Rice aside, that was basically that.
They don’t happen often, but this was a very bad day at the office. How and why it happened will no doubt occupy Arteta’s thoughts for a while. With the players heading off on international duty now, we’ll have to wait until Leeds visit the Emirates on 10 October for a reaction.
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