Arteta slams ‘unacceptable’ performance in Brighton rout as Guimaraes reveals heated locker room reaction
The Gunners were outplayed from the start as Brighton ended their unbeaten run, leaving Arteta demanding a response from his players
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were handed a major reality check after Brighton produced a dominant 3-0 victory over the defending Premier League champions at the Amex Stadium.
The defeat ended Arsenal’s impressive unbeaten start and exposed weaknesses that had largely been hidden during their strong opening to the campaign. Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres were all on target as Brighton took full advantage of a below-par display from the visitors.
Arsenal struggled to match Brighton’s intensity from the opening whistle, while repeated mistakes in possession made life increasingly difficult for Arteta’s side. The Gunners also failed to win enough of the physical battles in midfield and were frequently forced onto the back foot.
Arteta made no attempt to disguise his frustration after the final whistle, admitting he was “extremely disappointed” with the performance. The Arsenal manager also acknowledged that Brighton had been the better side and deserved their victory.
“Extremely disappointed, but first of all, I think we have to congratulate Brighton for the victory. I think they deserve it, they were the better team,” Arteta said after the match.
“Brighton were another gear up from us. We were extremely poor technically and not respecting the game.
“And from our side there were certain basics that you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League, that we were very far from.”
The first warning signs came early, according to Arteta , who felt his team were immediately struggling to cope with Brighton’s approach. He was particularly unhappy with Arsenal’s performance in duels and their inability to deal with second balls.
Gross eventually broke the deadlock after 31 minutes, finding space outside the box before his effort went in off the post. Arsenal had a chance to respond shortly before the interval when Bukayo Saka found himself in a promising position, but the visitors couldn't take advantage.
Brighton then delivered another blow just before half-time when Kostoulas was allowed enough room to turn and fire past David Raya.
Arsenal unable to find a response
Arteta kept his starting XI unchanged for the second half, hoping his players would produce a reaction. Instead, Brighton extended their advantage only 12 minutes after the restart.
Andres rose to meet Gross ’ corner and headed the ball beyond Raya , leaving Arsenal with a three-goal deficit and little time to recover.
The hosts continued to threaten, while Arsenal struggled to build sustained pressure. Kai Havertz had a late opportunity to reduce the deficit, but his effort was straight at Bart Verbruggen.
Bruno Guimaraes revealed that frustration was equally evident inside the Arsenal dressing room. The midfielder said players were openly criticizing their own performance after the match and admitted the display wasn't acceptable.
“It’s a day to forget,” Guimaraes said, while also giving credit to Brighton for their performance. He acknowledged that Arsenal had been well below the required standard.
The result was a memorable achievement for Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler . He praised his players for making Arsenal uncomfortable throughout the contest and urged them to stay humble while understanding the basic principles that had contributed to the victory.
