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If the quality of opposition – and Brighton were magnificent to a man – disallows this from entering the pantheon of great Premier League shocks, the manner in which Arsenal capitulated under serious pressure caught us all off guard. Anybody who tells you that they saw this defeat, in this way, coming is lying to your face.

Arsenal could not cope with Brighton’s energy; there is no other explanation. Fabian Hurzeler’s team give the impression of a whirlwind when at their best, swarming you out of possession and then ducking and diving and swapping positions when they win the ball. 

That’s evidently slightly misleading: what looks like chaos is actually organised and pre-planned. It’s similar to how Eddie Howe’s Newcastle occasionally got into Arsenal’s face at St James’ Park. You whip up a storm on the pitch and in the stands and you take your chance that you will unnerve a champion team. It was instructive how Arsenal’s senior players (David Raya, Gabriel and Martin Odegaard in particular) were incapable of instilling calm in the rest.

One explanation is that, after a year of a very settled team, there was some unfamiliarity in this Arsenal XI. Ezri Konsa is a new partner for Gabriel, who looks a lesser central defender without William Saliba and seemed unsure of whether to engage or fall back. Jurrien Timber was making his first start after injury and looked rusty. 

Arsenal lost the game in midfield because Bruno Guimaraes was wretched and  he should have been substituted at half-time. It’s reasonable that the demands of Mikel Arteta’s football takes some time to acclimatise to, but Bruno looked heistant in possession and too easy to pass through without it. 

With Odegaard further forward and ineffective, it left Rice as effectively a one-man midfield. That’s never going to be enough with Brighton’s high energy. Rice’s frustrations was epitomised by his kick out that could easily have prompted a red card. 

The other theory is that Arsenal are simply not used to this happening and so struggled to adapt with Brighton running riot (an observation that was made about Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City from time to time). In the Premier League, they had trailed in only two away games in 2026 (Manchester City and Bournemouth). They are just not used to getting flustered. 

Conceding three goals in a match for the first time since 2023 is stronger evidence for Arsenal’s general relentless excellence more than it is a reason to panic now the streak has ended. Their closest title rivals are not going to be perfect, although we should welcome any handbrake at all placed upon a procession season. This is probably only a blip and, to paraphrase what Arteta said to open his post-match press conference, Brighton are a damn good football team.

Still, we have a faint blueprint, even if it is never a guarantee and requires a double dose of bravery. This Arsenal team has proven that it is too good for you if you simply try to survive. The only hope is to bring the noise, use 60 per cent of your energy in the first 30 per cent of the match and try to firmly shove them off their stride.

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