After 7 consecutive wins, Arsenal suffers first defeat
Brighton stunned title holders Arsenal, handing them their first defeat of the season with a 3-0 victory on Saturday in the fifth round of the English Premier League, while struggling Tottenham suffered another loss that placed significant pressure on Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi after falling to Aston Villa.
After a remarkable start marked by seven consecutive wins across all competitions and the Community Shield title, Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season, coming away from home to Brighton, who secured their third straight victory after previously beating Manchester United in the League Cup.
Arsenal appeared far from their usual form and failed to mount a strong response to falling behind to goals from Germany’s Pascal Gross (31), Greece’s Charalampos Kostoulas (45), and Spain’s Kimi Andrés (57).
Arsenal relinquished the top spot to runners-up Manchester City, who moved into first place on goal difference without playing, ahead of their Sunday match against visitors Sunderland.
Brighton took the lead with a powerful shot from outside the area by Gross, which struck the left post before finding its way into the net (31). Also from outside the box, Spanish goalkeeper David Raya conceded a second goal, this time to the right of the goal (45). Before Arsenal could show any reaction in the second half, Andrés scored his first Premier League goal, heading in a corner kick to make it 3-0 (57).
Aston Villa recorded their first league win of the season, beating hosts Tottenham 3-2, against a rival that continues to slide down the table and currently sits in the relegation zone.
The visitors arrived in north London with cautious steps after suffering three defeats in four matches and scoring just one goal. However, last season’s fourth-placed team left with high morale on both the collective and attacking fronts.
In contrast, nothing is going well for Tottenham, who sit 18th ahead of the completion of the weekend’s matches, with a record of three losses and two draws.
