Brighton & Hove Albion produced a stunning performance at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, beating reigning Premier League champions Arsenal 3-0 and handing Mikel Arteta’s side their first league defeat of the season.
Pascal Groß opened the scoring in the first half with a long-range strike before Charalampos Kostoulas doubled Brighton’s advantage shortly before the break. Chema Andrés then headed in Brighton’s third nine minutes after half-time to complete a convincing victory.
Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler was delighted with his players’ display and highlighted their intensity, togetherness and ability to win individual battles.
Speaking after the match, Hürzeler described the victory as “special” because it came against the reigning champions. He also delivered a striking assessment of his team’s performance, saying they were “horrible to play against.”
The German coach stressed that Brighton’s success came from sticking to their principles and getting the basics right rather than simply exploiting Arsenal’s weaknesses.
“I think we deserved to win,” Hürzeler said, praising his players for their work rate and performance in the duels. He also urged the squad to remain humble and focus on the next challenge.
The result marks a major statement from Brighton, who dominated large periods of the match and could have scored even more. Arsenal struggled to cope with the Seagulls’ pressing and intensity throughout the afternoon.