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Arsenal's champion aura evaporates after thrashing

Brighton & Hove Albion stunned defending league champions Arsenal with a comprehensive 3-0 victory at the Amex Stadium. The home side dismantled the Gunners' renowned defensive solidity, scoring in the 55th minute through Chema Andrés heading in a corner kick, before Pascal Struijk narrowly missed an opportunity to extend the deficit to four goals.

The result exposed rare vulnerabilities in Mikel Arteta's squad, whose title run the prior campaign had ended a 22-year drought behind top-tier set-piece execution, goalkeeper David Raya, and midfield anchor Declan Rice.

Rice struggled noticeably with his positional discipline, roaming relentlessly yet vacating the center of the pitch alongside teammates Martin Ødegaard and Bruno Guimarães, which enabled Fabian Hürzeler's side to take control. Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton supporters even mocked the visitors by comparing them to Tottenham Hotspur during the rout.

Arsenal and Arteta now enter an upcoming three-week international window to reassess their tactical setup before returning to competition against Leeds United on Oct. 10.