Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season after losing 3-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, with Brighton marking their 125th anniversary with a win over the league leaders.
The fifth-round match was played at the American Express Stadium in Falmer, with kick-off at 3:00pm WAT on September 19, 2026.
Arsenal had won their opening four league games and conceded just one goal before travelling to Brighton, but the hosts ended their perfect start with a dominant display.
Pascal Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a low shot that went in off the post. It was his fourth goal in his last five games.
Charalampos Kostoulas doubled Brighton’s lead in the 45th minute, firing home from 25 yards after a counter-attack, less than a minute after Bukayo Saka missed a chance to equalise.
Chema Andres completed the scoring in the 57th minute, heading home from close range after Gross delivered a corner.
The defeat is Arsenal’s heaviest since another 3-0 loss to Brighton in May 2023.
The result also changed the top of the Premier League table, with Manchester City moving into first place on 12 points from four games. Arsenal dropped to second on the same number of points after five matches, while Brighton climbed to third with 10 points.
Brighton have now scored 16 goals in five league games, the highest total in the division.
The Seagulls wore a special pale blue 125th-anniversary shirt for the occasion, adding to a memorable day for the club as they celebrated the milestone with a victory over one of the league’s early title contenders.
Brighton pressed Arsenal intensely and denied the visitors the control they had enjoyed in their opening four matches. Arsenal also struggled in key duels and made mistakes in dangerous areas, allowing Brighton to punish them at crucial moments.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted Brighton deserved the victory.
“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. We did technical errors in the wrong areas and lost our duels,” Arteta said.
“But I have to put into perspective what the team has done since the World Cup. It has been exceptional. We will learn from this experience and go again.”
