Brighton left the Amex Stadium with the sharper ratings and the cleaner performance. Pascal Groß scored the opener in the 31st minute, finished with an 8.96 rating, and set up the third goal. Charalampos Kostoulas followed with Brighton’s second on 45 minutes and an 8.23 rating, while Chema Andrés made it 3-0 in the 57th minute with a header from Groß’s assist.

Brighton's standout performers

Groß was the clear pick of the afternoon. His goal and assist came with the kind of control that kept Arsenal pinned back for long stretches, and his rating reflected that influence rather than just the raw numbers. Kostoulas was the other standout, giving Brighton a second goal before half-time and backing it up with an 8.23 that matched the feeling of a front line that kept finding the right moments.

Chema Andrés completed the scoring early in the second half, and the 3-0 scoreline was backed up by the rest of Brighton’s attacking output. They produced 17 shots to Arsenal’s 9 and hit the target 5 times to Arsenal’s 2. Matt Verri said Arsenal had “no answer to the pressing and intensity Brighton brought, looking rattled from the very first minute and never recovering.”

Arsenal's low ratings tell the story

The Arsenal side that usually looks calm and efficient never really settled here. David Raya came out with a 5.51 rating, Jurriën Timber a 6.37, and Gabriel was among the names dragged down by a poor afternoon. Arsenal still had 60% possession, but it did not translate into much threat.

Ewan Ross-Murray summed up the reaction by writing that “the air of invincibility that has surrounded them in recent weeks has now evaporated.” That feels fair as a reading of one bad day, even if one defeat should not be stretched into something bigger. The first league loss of the season came at the Amex, and the ratings made the damage obvious.

Brighton won the individual battles, the scoring pattern and the numbers behind the game. Arsenal now have a loss on their record, and the next reference point is the response rather than the result itself.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →