Brighton vs Arsenal ended in a stunning 3-0 victory for the Seagulls as the hosts produced a dominant performance to hand the champions their first defeat of the campaign at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton had already shown their confidence with victories over Coventry City and Manchester United, but few expected them to overwhelm an Arsenal side that had won their previous nine league matches and seven games in all competitions at the start of the campaign. Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres were on target as Brighton punished a nervy Arsenal display and moved into third place in the table.

Brighton vs Arsenal ends in emphatic victory for the Seagulls

Brighton immediately looked comfortable against the champions, using their intensity to prevent Arsenal from settling into their usual rhythm. The visitors struggled to maintain possession under pressure and repeatedly looked vulnerable whenever Brighton attacked with purpose.

The breakthrough eventually arrived in the 31st minute when Gross produced a composed finish from the edge of the area. His shot travelled beyond David Raya and went in off the post, giving Bart Verbruggen’s side a deserved lead after a strong opening half-hour.

Arsenal attempted to respond before the interval and came close to finding an equalizer through Bukayo Saka. A deflected effort from Martin Odegaard fell kindly to the England international inside the area, but Saka could not take advantage of the opportunity.

That miss proved particularly costly because Brighton immediately increased their advantage.

Just seconds after Arsenal’s missed chance, Kostoulas found himself with too much space on the edge of the penalty area. The Brighton forward was able to turn before firing beyond Raya, sending the hosts into half-time with a commanding 2-0 lead.

For Arsenal, it was an unfamiliar position. Mikel Arteta’s side had entered the match in impressive form, but Brighton’s relentless approach prevented them from establishing control.

Arteta decided against making changes at the break, instead trusting his players to produce a response in the second half. However, the improvement Arsenal needed never arrived.

Andres completes Brighton’s remarkable afternoon

Brighton added a third goal 12 minutes after the restart, effectively putting the contest beyond Arsenal’s reach.

Gross delivered a dangerous corner into the Arsenal penalty area, and Chema Andres rose to head the ball into the net. The goal completed an extraordinary spell for Brighton and gave the home supporters another reason to celebrate.

The Seagulls were not satisfied with simply protecting their three-goal advantage either. Struijk, making his first Premier League start for Brighton since arriving from Leeds during the summer, came close to adding a fourth when he headed another corner narrowly wide under pressure.

The result continued a remarkable run for Brighton, who had now scored 11 goals across their previous three matches. They had scored five against Coventry before producing a 3-2 comeback victory over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, and their latest performance was arguably the most impressive of the three.

Arsenal, meanwhile, struggled to create clear opportunities for much of the second half.

Kai Havertz eventually found himself with an opportunity to reduce the deficit after breaking through on goal, but his effort went straight at Verbruggen. At the other end, Matt O’Riley was denied by Raya as Brighton continued to threaten despite already having a comfortable advantage.

Arsenal suffer first loss of the season

The defeat represents Arsenal’s first loss of the season and brings an emphatic end to a run that had placed them among the early pace-setters in the Premier League.

The Gunners had won their previous nine league matches, while their seven victories from seven games in all competitions at the start of this campaign had established an impressive early record. Against Brighton, however, they were unable to reproduce the control and attacking efficiency that had characterized their opening weeks.

Their problems were particularly evident in possession, where Brighton’s pressure repeatedly forced Arsenal into mistakes and prevented them from building sustained attacks.

The result leaves Arsenal second in the table on goal difference, although they have played one more match than Manchester City. City have the opportunity to move clear when they host Sunderland on Sunday.

Brighton’s reward for their outstanding performance is a rise to third place. The Seagulls are now just two points behind the leaders and have given themselves an early position among the teams competing near the top of the table.

For Fabian Hürzeler’s side, the victory also provides further evidence of their growing confidence after an encouraging run of results.

Arsenal will now have to regroup after a night that exposed weaknesses they had largely avoided during their unbeaten opening stretch. Brighton, on the other hand, can celebrate a memorable home victory that not only delivered three points but also announced their ambitions near the top of the Premier League table.

The champions arrived at the Amex with an unbeaten record and left with three goals conceded, their first loss of the season and a significant reminder that the title race may already contain several unexpected challengers.