Arteta: Arsenal Beaten by Brighton, a Big Lesson

Arsenal lost 0-3 at home to Brighton in round five of the Premier League, their first defeat by three or more goals since May 2023, when the same opponents beat them by the same score. It also ended a run stretching back to 19 April 2026, when Arsenal last lost a league match, going down 1-2 at Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta did not look for excuses afterwards.

"Brighton deserved the win. Arsenal could not get out from under the pressure, the team did not do the basic things. This match was a big lesson for us," Arteta said.

He returned to the same theme when asked to break down where it went wrong.

"There were often moments when the ball was up for grabs, moving from one team to the other, and in most cases the second ball fell to them. Sometimes we made technical errors that put us in a vulnerable position, but that is something we need to learn from. From the very first throw-in it was noticeable, everything was painfully clear. We created problems for ourselves — once, twice, three times — and we needed to get out of those situations much faster. That is one of the main lessons we have to take from this match," Arteta said.

The result was Arsenal's first defeat of the season and leaves them second on 12 points from five matches. Brighton, managed by Fabian Hürzeler, moved up to third. Arsenal are next in action on 10 October, at home to Leeds in round six.