Fabian Hurzeler: Brighton were 'horrible to play against' in Arsenal win

The Seagulls ended the champions' unbeaten Premier League start in emphatic fashion, with Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres finding the net.

Arsenal had arrived on the south coast having won their opening nine league matches, but Brighton's aggressive approach unsettled Mikel Arteta's side.

Gross opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a shot from the edge of the box that went in off the post.

Arsenal were given an opportunity to respond before half-time when Bukayo Saka found himself in space after a deflected Martin Odegaard effort, but he could not convert. Brighton then struck again moments later, with Kostoulas turning inside the area to double their advantage.

The hosts effectively settled the contest 12 minutes into the second half when Chema Andres headed in from a Gross corner.

Hurzeler was delighted with the way his side competed against the Premier League champions.

"It was a special win. Not only because we played the best team in England but because of the performance," the Brighton manager told BBC Match of the Day.

"I am really proud of my team. It's always important to enjoy these moments. We were horrible to play against."

The German said Brighton's performance was built on winning individual battles and maintaining their intensity.

"Intensity, intensity, winning the personal duels... we have to have the belief to compete with the best teams in the league," he said.

"My players really trust each other on the pitch. If one player is out then another can replace him.

"Overall we wanted to be really good in every phase. We needed to be at the highest level."

Hurzeler also stressed that Brighton's success came from executing the basics properly.

"Beating the current champions and the best team in England is something special," he said.

"But it's not because the result is special, it's the performance. The boys showed real togetherness and intensity.

"They were horrible to play against today and that's because we did the basic things right. Overall I was very pleased with the performance."

The Brighton boss urged his players to remain grounded despite the scale of the victory, with a demanding schedule awaiting them after the international break.

"We go game by game," he said. "After wins like this we have to stay humble and understand why we had this win. We have to keep on going."

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