The Premier League is set for a break of almost three weeks as the international football window begins, with teams having completed their first five league matches of the season.
Those opening fixtures have already offered an early glimpse of the strengths and weaknesses of the teams competing in England’s top flight.
Arsenal, the reigning Premier League champions, had made an impressive start to the new campaign and appeared difficult to stop in the opening weeks.
A victory over Brighton on Saturday would have given the London side eight consecutive wins in all competitions, matching a record the club had previously set.
However, those hopes ended at the Amex Stadium, where Arsenal suffered a 3-0 defeat.
The result was particularly significant because Arsenal had not lost a Premier League match by more than one goal since October 2024. The three-goal defeat was also their heaviest league loss since May 2023, when they were beaten 3-0 by Brighton.
Despite the heavy defeat, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the result should not overshadow what his players had achieved during the opening weeks of the campaign.
“This is not going to take away what the team has done and what the players have done in the last six or seven weeks since they came back from the World Cup,” Arteta said.
He added that the team’s performances and number of victories had been exceptional, but described the defeat as an important lesson.
“What we have done, the way we have competed and the number of games we have won have been exceptional, but this is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level.”
The defeat therefore provides an early reminder that even a strong start does not make a team unbeatable, with the Premier League season still having a long way to go.