LONDON: Premier League champions Arsenal suffered a stunning setback on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion ended their perfect start to the season with a commanding 3-0 victory, while Tottenham Hotspur’s early-season crisis deepened with a 3-2 home defeat by Aston Villa.
Arsenal had won their opening four league matches and seven games in all competitions, but were comprehensively outplayed by an energetic Brighton side at the Amex Stadium. Pascal Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a low effort that went in off the post before Charalampos Kostoulas doubled Brighton’s advantage shortly after Bukayo Saka had come close to an equaliser.
Chema Andres completed the rout after the break, heading home from Gross’s corner as Brighton secured a memorable victory and moved third in the table with 10 points from five matches. Arsenal remained on 12 points, level with Manchester City, who can move three points clear with victory over Sunderland on Sunday.
Tottenham endured another frustrating afternoon as Aston Villa claimed their first league victory of the campaign at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Johan Manzambi put Villa ahead in first-half stoppage time before Nicolas Jackson doubled the lead in the 67th minute. Emi Buendia then produced a spectacular strike from distance to make it 3-0.
Tottenham finally found the net in the closing stages through Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke, but the late revival was not enough to prevent another defeat. Spurs remain without a league victory and have just two points from five matches.
Elsewhere, Everton defeated Ipswich Town 1-0 to climb into the top five, while Newcastle United beat promoted Hull City 2-1. Coventry City secured their first Premier League points since returning to the top flight with a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
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