Mikel Arteta did not mince words after Arsenal’s 3-0 loss to Brighton at the Amex Stadium, accusing his squad of not "respecting the game" when they were outclassed by the visitors. The defeat, which saw goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres, marked Arsenal’s most severe Premier League setback in three years and abruptly halted their early‑season winning streak. Arteta singled out the physical aspect of the match, saying his players were outmatched in the battles down the right flank and in the second‑ball duels.
He also criticised the technical side of their play, noting that the Gunners looked sloppy and lacked the composure required when pressed man‑to‑man. "A very disappointing result and performance," the manager said, while giving full credit to Brighton for their disciplined approach and execution. He explained that Brighton operated on a higher gear in the fundamentals of the sport.
"They were first in the first duel, in the second actions, second balls, and they started to play from there," Arteta observed. When Arsenal possessed the ball, especially in their own half, he felt they were "extremely poor technically, not respecting the game and the game principles you have to apply against a team that wants to press you man to man." This lack of technical sharpness, according to Arteta, prevented Arsenal from dictating the tempo and creating the space they needed to dominate. The manager also lamented the missed opportunities, noting that when clear chances did arise, the team failed to convert them. "We have to make sure we learn the lesson because this can't happen again," he warned.
During the post‑match press conference, Arteta added that many moments were decided by 50‑50 battles, and most of the time the ball went to Brighton. He highlighted a few technical errors that left Arsenal vulnerable, saying, "From the first throw‑in you could sense it, it was so clear. We put ourselves in trouble one time, two times, three times and we needed to get out of that much quicker than that. That's one of the biggest lessons that we have to take from the game." The loss snapped Arsenal’s run of eight straight Premier League victories.
Despite his criticism, Arteta urged patience and perspective ahead of the three‑week international break. He reminded everyone that the recent achievements – six or seven weeks of strong performances after the World Cup, with 18 players returning and a remarkable tally of wins – would not be erased by a single setback. "It’s not going to take away what the team has done and the boys have done in the last six or seven weeks since coming back from the World Cup," he said.
"With 18 players coming back, what we’ve done, the way we’ve competed and the amount of games we’ve won has been remarkable. But this is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level." Sky Sports analyst Nick Wright noted that Arsenal are rarely out‑fought, yet they could not cope with Brighton’s intensity. The visitors’ pressing was relentless in the first half and continued to dominate in the second, leaving Arsenal scrambling. Opta data showed Brighton won possession in the final third nine times – the second‑highest total in a Premier League match this season and the most ever recorded against Arsenal in any game this term or last.
Arsenal appeared disoriented by the early pressure, with new signing Bruno Guimarães particularly struggling to find his rhythm. The Gunners never regained their composure, and Brighton’s dominance extended to set‑pieces.
Their third goal came from a well‑executed corner, adding to the sense of revenge for the narrow defeat they suffered in the same fixture last season. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler praised his side’s "special" performance, noting that the victory moved them up to third place, just two points behind Arsenal. Their tally of 16 goals in the first five games is the highest by any Premier League club since Manchester City scored 19 at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.
"Beating the current champions and the best team in England is something special," Hurzeler said. "But it’s not because the result is special, it’s the performance.
The boys showed real togetherness and intensity. They were horrible to play against and that’s because we did the basic things right. Overall I was very pleased with the performance. I think we deserved to win.
It’s a moment the players and the staff can enjoy because they worked hard for this, but it’s also important why we had this success, because we did the basics right and we were brilliant in the duels."