**Arsenal had their first hiccup of the season at the weekend as they were handily beaten by Brighton in a 3-0 drubbing at the Amex.**
For the first time since becoming Premier League champions, Arsenal have lost a game of football, and while alarm bells aren’t ringing at the Emirates, this result was a bit of a reality check it has to be said.
Speaking on his podcast, [Graeme Souness](https://www.arsenalinsider.com/tag/graeme-souness/) has been dissecting Arsenal’s defeat at the weekend, and the pundit reckons the Gunners may now simply have to adapt to a new reality they face.
Indeed, Souness believes that Arsenal need to accept the burden of responsibility that comes with being champions – stating that from now on, Arsenal will have a new target on their backs that every team will want to take down.
Souness claims that Arsenal have a new reality they have to face as champions.
The pundit believes that every team in the Premier League will want to claim this scalp as they want the honour and prestige that comes alongside beating the champions.
Of course, this isn’t something Arsenal have had to deal with since 2004.
“I think Arsenal have to accept, and it’s something experienced as a player, that there’s a target on their backs now,” Souness said.
“It’s a cup final for everyone who plays against Arsenal.
“They have to accept that they want to beat them more than anything else, any other team possibly. And you have to deal with that.”
Arsenal haven’t been in this situation for a long time, and many of these players have never experienced this in their careers.
Teams do often find an extra gear against the champions – that’s something Manchester United and Manchester City had grown used to at different periods, but, for Arsenal this is a new challenge to navigate.
Arsenal haven’t defended a league title for a long time, and Souness’ comments here show why that is one of football’s most difficult tasks.
The last time Arsenal were champions, they only lost five games in the 2004/05 season, but that didn’t prove to be enough to retain their title – whether or not the same sort of thing occurs this time around remains to be seen.