Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were ‘very far’ from their best, as Brighton and Hove Albion produced a stunning 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions.
The Seagulls delivered a superb display to inflict a painful defeat on Arsenal, with Pascal Gross at the heart of an impressive team performance.
Albion’s organisation, aggression and intensity caused Arsenal problems from the start, with Arteta conceding that technical mistakes left his side under sustained pressure.
The Arsenal manager told Match of the Day: “First of all congratulations to Brighton. I am really disappointed.
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were ‘very far’ from their best, as Brighton and Hove Albion produced a stunning 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)placeholder image
Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal were ‘very far’ from their best, as Brighton and Hove Albion produced a stunning 3-0 victory over the Premier League champions. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
"In the first 20 or 30 minutes the number of technical errors put us constantly under pressure. It was all related to the start.
“It’s a big lesson to learn. What the team has done since the World Cup has been remarkable. But today there is a lot to learn.
“Credit to Brighton for what they have done. I think we were very far from our level. The international break means we have more time to swallow because it’s very painful. In any game you can get highly exposed if you don’t do what you need to do.”
Speaking separately to Sky Sports, Arteta said Brighton had played at an intensity Arsenal were unable to match.
He said: “A really disappointing result and performance. Brighton were another gear up from us. We were extremely poor technically and not respecting the game.
“Credit to Brighton. They went up another gear. It’s a big lesson to learn. It doesn’t take away from what the team has done the last few weeks. But now we have to make sure we learn the lesson because this can happen again.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler was delighted with the way his players competed against the side he described as the best in the country.
Speaking to Match of the Day, Hurzeler said: “It was a special win. Not only because we played the best team in England but because of the performance. I am really proud of my team.
“It’s always important to enjoy these moments. We were horrible to play against.
“Intensity, winning the personal duals. We have to have the belief to compete with the best teams in the league. My players really trust each other on the pitch. If one player is out, then another can replace him.”
Hurzeler said Albion had set out to perform at the highest possible standard in every aspect of the game.
He added: “Overall we wanted to be really good in every phase. We needed to be at the highest level. We go game by game. After the international break we have a lot of games.
“After wins like this we have to stay humble and understand why we had this win. We have to keep on going.”
The Brighton head coach also praised the enduring influence of Gross, whose intelligence and reliability continue to make those around him better.
Hurzeler said: “He enjoys himself on the pitch scoring goals. You can really trust him and he makes the team-mates around him really better.”