Unseen Mikel Arteta moment with Gabriel Heinze sums up Arsenal defeat at Brighton
It was an afternoon to forget for Arsenal
Arsenal rarely lose, let alone lose like this. When they ruthlessly obliterated Manchester City 3-0 in sunny Cardiff five weeks ago to claim the Community Shield, retaining their Premier League crown appeared a formality.
Since that statement one-sided triumph, performances and results - six straight victories in all competitions - have been nothing short of exceptional. They've won ugly, with class and with quality yet electric Brighton ripped through them with ease.
There were far bleaker days in the early stages of Mikel Arteta's Emirates tenure but in recent years, it's hard to recall the Gunners being battered from pillar to post and bettered in just about every department.
It was their first defeat by a three-goal margin since May 2023 when the Seagulls ran riot in north London as Arsenal's unlikely title charge went up in smoke.
Here they were second best from the get-go and frustratingly, will now have to wait three entire weeks to issue a response due to the impending extended international break.
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It's little wonder Arteta actively strived to diffuse any lingering tensions with Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler during his pre-match press conference because Brighton still played with a fierce edge.
There has been plenty of needle between these two teams in recent seasons and it's very rare you see Arsenal come out on the wrong side of a feisty dust-up looking shellshocked, bruised and dishevelled.
Their flaws were endless. Defensively they were incredibly vulnerable, there was a lack of cohesion and the club's biggest stars and usual top performers struggled.
David Raya was shaky in patches, although he made several key second-half stops. Declan Rice was leggy and sloppy in possession, Bruno Guimaraes was disastrous on his first league start, Martin Odegaard was ineffective and ghosted through large periods of the game, Bukayo Saka was wasteful; and Kai Havertz just could not make the ball stick.
Even when the German was presented with a golden opportunity, he blew it, firing straight at Bart Verbruggen. The crux of Arsenal's core players have already played significant minutes as well so far this term and it shows.
On the back of the World Cup and subsequent fitness issues (Rice and Saka), they will need to be more durable than ever. This was also the first time William Saliba's absence was sorely felt; Arsenal missed him dearly.
It was an afternoon to forget for Arsenal
If you thought this Premier League season was going to be tedious and predictable, think again. In this rich vein of form, the 'Moneyball' teams, namely Brighton and Brentford, look ready to put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Arsenal certainly didn't look like an unstoppable force, Albion made them look vulnerable and uncharacteristically weak.
While it's still too early in the season to draw definitive conclusions on the title picture, you'd be a fool to write Manchester City off.
They have improved tenfold since that Community Shield drubbing, have reshaped the squad, their new signings have started to settle and things are beginning to click into gear for Enzo Maresca.
If the champions weren't already aware that a hungry City is coming up the hill, they sure will be now. As brilliant Brighton proved, Arsenal now have a target firmly on their back. This was also only the second time in 20 Premier League away games that the Gunners failed to score.
Mikel Arteta during Arsenal's defeat to Brighton.(Image: Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
They looked blunt and soon enough, questions over the club's refusal to sign a replacement for Gabriel Martinelli will surface because Arsenal do not look threatening from the left flank.
As irresistible Brighton pressed for a third just shy of the hour mark, Arteta was deep in discussion with assistant Gabriel Heinze on the touchline.
The pair looked dejected, signalling the start of an extensive post-mortem. Seconds later, Chema Andres powered home, and the managerial duo appeared to call it quits.
Brighton were so good, there was just no stopping them but Arsenal need to regroup and put together a convincing performance when they host Leeds on October 10.
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