Brighton & Hove Albion ended Arsenal’s perfect start to the 2026/27 season with a 3-0 victory over the defending Premier League champions at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Gatekeepers News reports that Arsenal arrived on the south coast having won all seven of their matches in all competitions, but Brighton produced a dominant display to hand Mikel Arteta’s side their first defeat of the campaign.
Pascal Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute, finding the far corner after receiving a pass from Charalampos Kostoulas. Kostoulas then doubled Brighton’s advantage shortly before half-time with a long-range effort.
The hosts extended their lead 12 minutes into the second half when Chema Andres headed home from a corner to complete the scoring.
The defeat was Arsenal’s heaviest in more than three years and ended their six-match unbeaten run at Brighton. The result also dropped the champions to second in the Premier League table on 12 points, while Brighton moved into third with 10 points after five matches.
It was also the third consecutive season in which the reigning Premier League champions have suffered defeat at the Amex, following Liverpool and Manchester City in the previous two campaigns.
Arteta admitted that Brighton deserved the victory and said the defeat was a “big lesson” for his players.
The Arsenal manager said his team fell short of the basic requirements needed to compete at Premier League level, while acknowledging Brighton’s superior performance. He also stressed that the result did not erase the strong run Arsenal had produced since the start of the season.
Brighton’s victory extends their impressive start to the campaign, while Arsenal will now look to respond after the international break.
