Arsenal’s perfect start to the season got absolutely slammed shut, losing 3-0 on the road to Brighton. This wasn’t any loss; it ended their flawless record, making them one of the last teams in a top-five league to finally taste defeat. Brighton didn’t just win; they absolutely exposed some major cracks for the Gunners, putting a spotlight on a lifeless attack and a baffling drought on set pieces.
Brighton Just Rolled ‘Em, Proving They’re For Real
Brighton came out swinging and showed everyone why they’re the highest-scoring team in the Premier League. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead by halftime, and Arsenal just had no answer. You’ve gotta respect what Fabian Hurzeler’s squad is building. This guy is still the youngest manager in the Premier League, and he’s got them right in the middle of the title race after this win. Their recruitment has been spot-on too, bringing in guys like 19-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas, who dropped a goal and an assist, and Pascal Gross, who came back to the club. They outperformed their xG of 1.41, but that scoreline says it all: 3-0. For a team that had only allowed one goal all season before this game, that’s a gut punch.
The Gunners’ Attack? Where’d It Go?
Here’s the real kicker: Arsenal’s attack looked straight-up lifeless. This was their biggest loss in almost three years, and get this, the last one was *also* to Brighton back when Roberto De Zerbi was managing. They only took eight shots the entire game, and get this, not a single one came from the five substitutes Mikel Arteta brought in to try and change things up. You’d expect Viktor Gyokeres, the striker they brought in from Sporting Club Portugal, to step up in matches like this, but instead, 16-year-old Max Downman was introduced to try and turn the tide. When you take set pieces out of the equation, Arsenal’s attack just doesn’t scare anyone. That’s a problem, especially when the title race could come down to fewer than five points between them and City. We all know Erling Haaland means City is never out of a match.
The Dead Ball Dilemma That’s Tanking Their Season
But maybe the biggest head-scratcher? Arsenal’s set piece problem. This season, in five games, they’ve taken a whopping 16 shots from dead-ball situations. The number of goals they’ve scored from them? Zero. Let that sink in. Compare that to last season in Premier League play, where they bagged 23 goals from 177 shots in the same scenarios. A study by Michael Caley of the Expecting Goals newsletter and Double Pivot Podcast points to two reasons for this massive drop-off: stricter enforcement on grappling in the box, and keepers are just defending corners differently, punching and claiming more. If the Gunners can’t figure out how to score from set pieces, their title hopes are going to be in serious trouble. The next few games will show if they can fix this glaring hole in their game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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