Timid Arsenal were BULLIED by Brighton in 3-0 defeat: This performance from Mikel Arteta's men beggared belief and proves it is far too early to write off title challengers yet, writes ISAAN KHAN

Timid and shellshocked. Bullied. Rarely have such words been attributed to Arsenal in recent times.

Even those with a liking to Mikel Arteta’s team would struggle to utter more positive terms. By full-time, the Seagulls had pecked holes through each Arsenal player, and Arteta’s tactical sheets, on the club’s 125th anniversary. What an emphatic way to mark it.

Even the home fans had chants of ‘are you Tottenham in disguise?’ and ‘champions of England, you’re having a laugh’ in full flow, not afraid of revving up a wounded Arsenal team completely off the boil.

The score ended 3-0. Though, on another afternoon, four or five nil would have been more fitting. Even the typically composed Declan Rice decided to boot Malick Yalcouye in frustration seconds before the full-time whistle, somehow escaping a red card.

This was a Gunners display synonymous of their side from four or five years ago, when the Spaniard had started paving the building blocks towards a Premier League title competing side.

What transpired here on the south coast defied belief. All teams can have an off day. No side is truly unbeatable in this league, even if the hype around Arsenal had reached silly levels because of the sheer frailties of the other Big Six members.

Yet, the manner in which Fabian Hurzeler’s relentless Brighton had run straight through the visitors sent a warning to the league. This season’s champions is not a forgone conclusion. Far from it.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side were bullied by Brighton as they lost 3-0 on Saturday afternoon

Right from the start, Arsenal were completely at sea. David Raya’s passes were laced with panic, many reaching his team-mates with too much power; a few even breached the touchline. That is a rare sight indeed.

The backline looked nervy. The midfield were being cut through at will, Bruno Guimaraes, on his first start for the club, not syncing with Rice; the tenacity of Myles Lewis-Skelly, on the bench, was arguably missed. The frontline were hidden.

Pascal Gross, one of Brighton’s many in-form players, had struck on 31 minutes to set the rout off. He received the ball outside the area, Arsenal’s backline dropping off, as if to say, ‘Go on, try, your luck’.

He did just that, lashing the ball with pace towards goal, rebounding off the bottom-right post and into the net. Riccardo Calafiori was the main culprit. He should’ve stepped forward to challenge. Still, it was an excellent strike befitting a man in red hot form. Gross now has seven goals contributions across all competitions this season.

Diego Gomez’s assist before half-time followed a similar pattern, the backline backing off. He passed to Charalampos Kostoulas, who swivelled outside the area and struck past Raya from 25 yards out.

Another goal was to follow, courtesy of Chema Andres from a Gross corner kick. Yet by the end, the Brighton players were queuing for their turn to strike at goal like kids at a half-time football challenge.

Substitute Matt O’Riley had his one-on-one shot save by Raya on 89 minutes which Yalcouye latched on to hit the crossbar, for example.

Brighton deserve enormous credit, a side which outfought, outthought and outran Arsenal. Not many sides in recent times can claim as such. They are so well-drilled and have struck 16 goals in the league, compared to the visitors’ eight. That is a marked difference.

Having warded off a clawing by the Black Cats, Arsenal had a pecking by the seagulls to overcome.

The animosity around Hurzeler’s comments last season, where he criticised Arsenal’s style of play, may have been forgiven by Arteta though the German was in no mood for a friendly-natured fixture.

It could have been more than three, too, with the champions suffering their first loss of the season

The Premier League’s best attack vs best defence, thus far, was the billing. Brighton started fiercely on the front foot. Diego Gomes stayed on Calafiori like a hare, refusing to give him an inch.

Each time the ball arrived on his flank within the first 10 minutes, Gomes was on the Italian’s foot.

The home side had registered three attempts — one on target — within the first 10 minutes, illustrating how front-footed they had set up.

In truth, Raya’s pass out of play on two minutes had set the tone for an afternoon only going in one direction.

It took until 18 minutes for Arsenal’s attempt first at goal, Guimaraes’ cross-shot whacking the side netting.

When Gross struck, an inevitability had been felt. There was a general sloppiness across the pitch, the Arsenal midfield struggling to string passes together.

They nearly grabbed a goal back on the cusp of half-time, Martin Odegaard marching forward on a counter-attack.

His shot, saved by Bart Verbruggen, rebounded into the path of Bukayo Saka who could only scuff his attempt.

Pascal Gross, one of Brighton's many in-form players, struck early on to set the tone

The winger hit the turf face down, in dismay at his prolificacy. By the team he had looked up, Brighton were in the opposite half.

Gomez latched on to a pass and drove forward, supplying Kostoulas. He swivelled outside the area and struck past Raya.

Whatever transpired in the Arsenal dressing room at half-time, it clearly didn’t work. It will have been some scene, nevertheless, Arteta expectedly incensed at what he had watched from a team stamping their authority on the league — not just chasing three points.

A win here would have been an eighth consecutive win across all competitions, equalling the club’s 123-year record for their best start to a campaign.

That quickly became clearly unattainable. Raya’s first action of the second period was to hoof the ball out of play, an early sign that Arsenal were not going to improve anytime soon.

Ferdi Kadioglu fell to the deck under pressure from Calafiori, referee Darren England waving away the penalty call.

Nothing went Arsenal's way - they now have an international break to mull over their struggles

Later, Gross’ corner found the head of Andres to put Brighton three goals ahead, the midfielder rising above Gabriel and Calafiori to head home.

Kai Havertz found himself one-on-one with Verbruggen on 78 minutes, Viktor Gyokeres’ clever chipped pass finding the striker.

He should have scored — but the ball rebounded off Verbruggen’s leg.

It summed Arsenal up on a day where nothing went their way — and a bright red warning sign travelled to all their rivals across the league.