Arsenal's unbeaten run in all competitions this season came to an end as they were defeated 3-0 by Brighton. The Gunners, led by Mikel Arteta, had won all seven games before this match. However, Brighton's goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas, and Chema Andres breached Arsenal's defense. Arteta attributed the loss to not doing the basics right for long periods, stating it was a big lesson for the team to learn.
Brighton was confident going into the match after their midweek League Cup win against Manchester United. The team, under Fabian Hurzeler, maintained their fine start to the campaign. Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a shot that crashed in off the inside of the post. Arsenal's defense was punished again just before half-time when Kostoulas picked his spot to beat David Raya.
The visitors fell further behind on the hour mark as Andres headed in Gross's corner inside the six-yard box. This was Brighton's 16th goal in five league games this season. Hurzeler expressed pride in his team's performance, stating it was a special win against the best team in England. The defeat is Arsenal's heaviest in any competition since April 2023.
Tottenham also had a difficult day as they lost 3-2 to Aston Villa. The team, under Roberto De Zerbi, remain winless and in the relegation zone. Despite an end to their goal drought, Spurs were already 3-0 down before Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored consolation goals. Villa's goalkeeper, Zion Suzuki, made several saves to keep his team in the game before Johan Manzambi slotted the visitors ahead at half-time.
Nicolas Jackson exposed Tottenham's woeful defending to add a second goal for Villa. Emi Buendia then secured Villa's first league win of the season with a brilliant strike. De Zerbi attributed the loss to his team's fragility, stating they need to defend compactly. The leaders, he added, need to lead the team.
In other Premier League matches, Newcastle ended newly-promoted Hull's unbeaten start with a 2-1 win. Joe Willock and Lewis Hall scored two goals inside the first seven minutes for Newcastle. Konstantinos Tzolakis saved Yoane Wissa's penalty before half-time to keep Hull alive. However, Mohamed-Ali Cho pulled a goal back in a nervy finish at St. James' Park.
Everton extended their unbeaten start with a 1-0 win over 10-man Ipswich. Thierno Barry scored the only goal and had another ruled out by VAR. Abdul Fatawu saw a second yellow card for diving, making it a tough day for Ipswich. Manchester City can open up a three-point lead at the top when they host Sunderland, while Manchester United aim to give some respite to embattled manager Michael Carrick at Fulham on Sunday.
Key points
- - Arsenal lost 3-0 to Brighton, ending their perfect start to the Premier League title defense. - Tottenham lost 3-2 to Aston Villa, remaining winless and in the relegation zone. - Newcastle and Everton won their respective matches, with Newcastle beating Hull 2-1 and Everton beating Ipswich 1-0.
