Brighton 3-0 Arsenal at American Express Stadium in Premier League matchweek five

Brighton & Hove Albion beat Arsenal 3-0 at the American Express Stadium in the fifth matchweek of the 2026-27 Premier League on 19 September 2026, ending Arsenal’s perfect start to the season and their seven-match winning run.

The victory coincided with Brighton’s 125th anniversary and moved the Seagulls up the Premier League table to third place. The Fabian Hürzeler-led side entered the fixture after scoring five goals against Coventry and three against Manchester United, while Arsenal had won all four of their opening Premier League matches and all seven of their competitive fixtures at the start of the campaign, conceding only one goal in their first four league games.

Pascal Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a strike from outside the box, Charalampos Kostoulas doubled the lead just before half-time with another long-range effort, and Chema Andres made it 3-0 in the 57th minute. Gross and Kostoulas each recorded a goal and an assist in the match.

Despite the presence of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, Arsenal were unable to convert chances and lacked urgency in the final third, failing to score while conceding three times. Brighton’s attacking approach kept the Gunners’ defence under pressure from the start through to the final whistle.

The result ended Arsenal’s run of seven successive wins since the beginning of the season and saw the Gunners drop from the top of the table to second. The scoreline represents Arsenal’s first loss of the Premier League campaign.

This defeat arrives ahead of the September-October international window and has been described in the report as potentially costly for the defending champions; Mikel Arteta’s players will now be looking to regroup once the international break ends.