Photo via BBC Sport

Brighton humbling 'a big lesson' for Arsenal - Arteta

Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal received a major wake-up call after being outplayed across the pitch in a chastening loss to Brighton. The Gunners faced a two-goal deficit by half-time, a circumstance from which they have not mounted a successful league comeback since a March 2008 fixture at Bolton.

Although Arteta noted that his squad's preparation was impacted by having 15 members return late from the World Cup, he conceded that his players fell well short of expectations in tactical basics, defensive solidity, and individual battles.

The result highlighted the sharp form of Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton side, who lead the Premier League with 16 total goals after scoring eight over the course of a single week. Prior to the defeat, Arsenal had boasted the competition's tightest defence from the previous campaign, with goalkeeper David Raya shipping just one goal across their initial four matches this term.

Despite an expenditure of approximately £200 million during the summer transfer window, Arteta's men were overwhelmed by their opponents' relentless collective pressing.