Arsenal crash to defeat at Brighton, Tottenham gloom deepens

BRIGHTON, Sept 19 : Brighton and Hove Albion ended Arsenal's perfect start to the season in stunning fashion on Saturday, routing the Premier League champions 3-0 on the south coast.

Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas rewarded Brighton's first-half dominance with precise finishes and Chema Andres struck after the interval as Arsenal wilted.

Earlier, Tottenham Hotspur scored their first Premier League goals of the season but they were in vain as they remained without a win, going down 3-2 at home to Aston Villa.

Promoted Hull City suffered their first league defeat of the season as they went down 2-1 at Newcastle United while Everton moved into the top five as they beat Ipswich Town 1-0.

Arsenal had won seven successive matches since the start of the campaign, including their opening four Premier League games, to begin their title defence in ominous fashion.

But the wheels fell off spectacularly against a free-scoring Brighton side who moved into third place.

Gross beat Arsenal keeper David Raya in the 31st minute with a low shot that went in off the upright and Kostoulas scored with a similar effort following a counter-attack.

Andres then headed in from close range and Brighton could have extended the lead as they celebrated their 125th anniversary in style.

Aston Villa breathed a sigh of relief as they claimed their first league win of the season but Tottenham's season lurched deeper into trouble after another demoralising defeat.

Villa keeper Zion Suzuki produced several fine saves to frustrate Tottenham and Unai Emery's side took the lead in first-half stoppage time when summer signing Johan Manzambi tapped in while the hosts were down to 10 men after Micky van de Ven was off the pitch receiving treatment for a cut face.

Nicolas Jackson doubled Villa's advantage in the 67th minute, finishing clinically to put the visitors firmly in control and Emi Buendia struck 11 minutes from time with a rocket to the top corner from 22 yards.

Many Tottenham fans had streamed to the exits before Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late on to salvage some respectability for Roberto De Zerbi's strugglers.

Thierno Barry's goal was enough for unbeaten Everton to take the points against Ipswich.

Newcastle galloped into a two-goal lead against Hull with Joe Willock and Lewis Hall scoring in the opening seven minutes but were forced to hang on as Mohamed-Ali Cho replied for the visitors midway through the second half.

Later on Saturday, Coventry City will attempt to earn their first points of the season as they go to Nottingham Forest.