A night to forget: Arsenal return to their 2023 nightmare
Brighton reinforce the champions' curse
Brighton's clash with Arsenal produced dismal figures for the Premier League champions and a striking tally for the hosts and their stars.
Played on Saturday in the fifth round of the Premier League, the game ended in a comprehensive 3-0 win for Brighton. The title holders were feeble throughout.
Arsenal never turned up. Their defence fell into total disarray, the midfield offered nothing and the attack barely functioned, letting the hosts control a contest that could easily have finished by a wider margin.
Brighton irony: Arsenal stumble on a night to forget
The "ESPN Insight" account on the X platform noted that Arsenal had not suffered a defeat by three goals or more in the Premier League since losing 3-0 to Brighton "themselves" on 14 May 2023: what an irony!
"Bleacher Report" confirmed that this three-goal defeat ended Arsenal's winning run in the league, which had stretched to nine straight matches. They also pointed out that the team had not lost a game in the competition by three goals or more since that Brighton clash in May 2023.
Statistics from "Mister Chip" tell the same story. This was Arsenal's first defeat in a competitive match by three goals or more since 14 May 2023. Across the 182 competitive matches since that loss, the Gunners won 118, drew 37 and lost 27, never once beaten by more than two goals.
"Squawka" added that Arsenal conceded at least three goals and lost in the league for the first time since their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United last January. It was also the first league match they had lost without scoring since 31 August 2025, when they fell 1-0 to Liverpool.
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The third: the curse of the big teams and defending champions
Brighton, meanwhile, chalked up another win over the Premier League's heavyweights, beating Manchester United and Arsenal in back-to-back matches, according to CBS Sport.
The "Bleacher Report" account on X pointed out that Brighton have now beaten the reigning Premier League champions on their own turf for a third season running.
That hat-trick against Arsenal came just days after Brighton clawed back a win against Manchester United, seeing them off 3-2 in the League Cup. "Bleacher Report" added that the side have scored 16 goals in their first five league matches, the highest tally in the competition so far.
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Gross: an experienced leader who keeps making the numbers
Pascal Groß stood out in particular during this striking start to Brighton's season. "Squawka" noted that the captain has become the player with the most goal contributions in the Premier League this season, with six to his name, as he continues to post influential numbers for his side.
The victory lifted Brighton to 10 points and provisionally up to third, while Arsenal's tally stopped at 12 points in second place.
Read also: Embarrassing numbers: Brighton expose Arsenal's defence
