Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Coming into this season every man, woman, child and their dog thought Arsenal were going to win the Premier League.
They may still do so come next May, but on Saturday afternoon, their hopes of retaining their crown took its first blow.
Brighton and Hove Albion are no mugs. They thrashed Coventry a week ago and came from behind to beat Manchester United in the League Cup just a few days ago.
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
So, when the Gunners came to the Amex this weekend, they were full of confidence. It showed.
Mikel Arteta's men are rarely pulled from pillar to post. They have the best defensive record in the land. Well, Brighton showed that it is possible to disrupt them.
Why Arsenal lost to Brighton
There isn't a tougher nut to crack in the Premier League than Arsenal. They came into this clash looking to win a tenth straight league match. Not since the days of Arsene Wenger, not since 2002, has club team achieved that.
Well, Brighton weren't going to play ball with that record. They were simply outstanding; Arsenal were not. An aggressive press from the Seagulls meant it was nigh on impossible for Arteta's side to play through the lines.
Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
Still, the Gunners are usually good at finding solutions. On this occasion, they did not.
Undone by two brilliant strikes from Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas, the game was then put beyond all doubt when Chema Andres scored his first Brighton goal, rising high from a second-half corner.
A 3-0 defeat would normally paint the defence in a bad light, but the narrative after the game was about Arsenal's attack. Over the summer, they lost Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus to permanent moves, while Ethan Nwaneri was sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund.
FC Barcelona/Handout via REUTERS
The only arrival to offset that was Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge. It's something that already looks like it could come back to haunt them.
The fact is, Andrea Berta has let Arteta down. He couldn't get his hands on Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez or Morgan Rogers. How Arsenal were craving an elite forward of that nature on the south coast this weekend.
Kai Havertz spurned a gilt-edged chance in the second half, and from a creative standpoint, Arteta's team were basically non-existent. Martin Odegaard, usually so creative and effervescent, did not create a single chance for his teammates.
That said, they were not the only ones to let the fans down.
Why Arsenal's best player has become a problem after Brighton
Arsenal love a 1-0 win. After defeating Aston Villa by that scoreline earlier this season, it marked the 14th time in the last three years that they had won in that manner in the Premier League.
As good as that statistic is, it is also a problem. While it highlights a team strong and resolute defensively, it also highlights a team who are weak going forward; they are unable to put teams to the sword.
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Arsenal player ratings v Brighton
David Raya - 6
Jurrien Timber - 6
Ezri Konsa - 5
Gabriel Magalhaes - 5
Riccardo Calafiori - 6
Declan Rice - 5
Bruno Guimaraes - 3
Martin Odegaard - 3
Bukayo Saka - 4
Christos Tzolis - 5
Kai Havertz - 3
It's why Arteta wanted a marquee forward over the summer. Vinicius Junior would have ticked so many boxes but unfortunately that move never materialised.
After their start to the season, it looked as though a lack of investment did not matter. Prior to their humbling away at Brighton, the Premier League champions had won every game they had played this term.
Yet, their attack was still struggling somewhat. Tzolis is still very much growing into his role in the team while Havertz has impressed in spurts. Bukayo Saka, however, continues to puzzle.
Last term, the number 7 experienced a below-par campaign. He scored just 11 goals and supplied seven assists. That was his worst campaign in five years.
The start of new season threatened to be better. Saka scored in Arsenal's first two league fixtures with Coventry and Aston Villa. He netted a penalty last week against Sunderland too.
REUTERS/Tony O Brien
However, either side of that clash at the Stadium of Light, the winger has been disappointing. Away at Napoli, Saka missed a huge chance from just a matter of yards out when it looked easier to score. That rather tells the story of recent weeks.
While he was perhaps the most vibrant of Arsenal's attackers on Saturday, creating the most chances (3) and completing the most dribbles (3) of any player on the pitch, his end product was still lacking.
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Saka vs Brighton
Minutes played
Touches
Accurate passes
Shots
Key passes
Successful crosses
Successful dribbles
Duels won
Possession lost
This used to be a player who never had a problem with that part of his game. He was so decisive in the key moments. He always made the right decision. Yet, that decision-making has deserted him.
It's the same reason Arsenal fans have bemoaned Noni Madueke since he signed from Chelsea last summer. It is the same reason Arsenal fans were quick to criticise former club-record signing Nicolas Pepe.
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Well, on Saturday, he was not much better than any of those. Like Pepe and Madueke, his dribbling was first-class but once he got into a position to potentially assist or score, nothing materialised.
For Saka, this three-week break from club football may do him some good. Either way, when the action resumes next month, Arteta should have a better look at Madueke in the league. After all, he cannot be much worse than Saka was at Brighton.
Arteta-Arsenal-Brighton