Brighton defeat reigning champions Arsenal 3-0 to move third in Premier League

Decisive strikes at the Amex Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion defeated defending Premier League champions Arsenal 3-0 at the American Express Stadium on Saturday, 19 September 2026. The defeat ended Arsenal's run of seven consecutive victories across all competitions this season, as well as a nine-match winning sequence in the league dating back to April. Pascal Gross opened the scoring on the half-hour mark with a right-footed strike from outside the penalty area that rebounded in off the post. Charalampos Kostoulas doubled the advantage shortly before half-time, beating goalkeeper David Raya with a 25-yard finish on a rapid counter-attack. Chema Andres added a third in the 57th minute by heading home from a corner kick to register his first Premier League goal.

High pressing disrupts titleholders

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler deployed an intense pressing system that denied Arsenal rhythm from the opening exchanges. Early defensive instability appeared when a rushed clearance from David Raya went directly out of play, followed by an errant clearance from Riccardo Calafiori and an error from Ezri Konsa that required a sliding challenge from Jurrien Timber. Brighton recovered possession in the final third nine times over 90 minutes, matching the highest total recorded against Arsenal in a league match since Liverpool in December 2023. Mikel Arteta acknowledged that his players failed to manage Brighton's physical approach during their fourth away match in ten days.

They deserved to win the game, they were the better team, especially in the early stages of the first half. We were not competing on the level that is required.

Standings shift and offensive records

The victory lifted Brighton into third place with ten points from five fixtures, extending their league goal tally to 16. No other Premier League club has scored more than ten goals through the first five matchweeks of the 2026–2027 campaign. Arsenal dropped to second place on goal difference with 12 points, allowing Manchester City an opportunity to claim sole possession of first place in their Sunday fixture against Sunderland. The result marked Arsenal's heaviest competitive loss since a 3-0 defeat against Brighton in May 2023, and their widest margin of defeat as defending champions since 1989. Chema Andres reflected on the tactical execution that secured the result.

It was the perfect performance from us. The team was amazing, the intensity was what we needed to win against this amazing team.

Matchweek 5 fixtures across the league

Elsewhere in Matchweek 5, Tottenham Hotspur remained in the relegation zone after losing 3-2 at home to Aston Villa, who established a three-goal advantage before Tottenham scored their first goals of the league season. Everton maintained their undefeated start to the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town. Newcastle United earned a 2-1 win over Hull City, inflicting Hull's first defeat of the season. Coventry City secured their first win since returning to the top division by defeating Nottingham Forest 1-0 away from home. Arsenal will look to regroup ahead of their upcoming league encounter against Leeds United following the international break.