"This night will not be repeated": Arteta levels a direct accusation at Arsenal's stars

Scathing criticism after the crushing defeat

Mikel Arteta ripped into his players on both the physical and technical fronts after Arsenal's humiliating defeat on Saturday evening at Brighton, going down three goals without reply in the fifth round of the Premier League.

It was Arsenal's first defeat of the season. The result froze the title holders on 12 points and handed rivals Manchester City the chance to open up a three-point gap at the top of the table.

As Sky Sports put it: "Goals from Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Yankuba Minteh inflicted on the Gunners their heaviest Premier League loss in three years, and abruptly ended their triumphant start to the season."

Arteta believed his players lost the physical battle. He also rued their carelessness on the ball as Brighton's pressure overwhelmed them.

Arsenal's performance was hugely disappointing

The Arsenal boss did not hide his frustration afterwards. "A hugely disappointing result and performance," he said. "All credit to Brighton for the way they performed and dealt with the match."

"They were ahead of us on another level in the basics of the game," Arteta added. "They were always first in the first duel, in the second movements, and the second balls, and they started their play from there."

"On top of all that, when we had the ball, especially in our half, we were very poor technically, and we did not respect the rules and principles of the game that must be applied against a team that wants to press you man for man," he continued.

His verdict was blunt. "That never gives you the option to dominate the match and control it the way you want. And when we had big chances, we did not take them. We have to make sure we learn the lesson because this cannot happen again."

"Everything was clear from the first throw-in"

Arteta went further in his post-match press conference. "There were many moments where control was 50-50, but most of the time it was in their favour."

"At times there were some glaring mistakes that affected us in a very difficult way, but this is something to learn from," he said.

He pinpointed exactly when the warning signs appeared. "From the first throw-in, it was very clear. We put ourselves in trouble once, twice, three times, and we needed to get out of that situation much faster. This is one of the most important lessons we must take from the match."

"We will not be affected: this is a big lesson"

Before the three-week international break, Arteta urged caution over judging his team too harshly.

"This will not affect what the team and the players have achieved in the past six or seven weeks since they returned from the World Cup," he said. "With 18 players returning, what we have achieved, the way we have competed, and the number of matches we have won, was something wonderful."

"But this is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level," he concluded.

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