Brighton fell 2-1 at Arsenal, extending a Premier League run of five matches without victory, and Fabian Hurzeler criticised the lack of bravery and personality his players showed before half-time despite a stronger response later.
Arsenal, who remain Premier League leaders, struck first after 14 minutes when Martin Odegaard finished calmly, then increased the advantage early in the second half as Declan Rice’s corner brushed Georginio Rutter and flew in for an own goal at the Emirates Stadium.
Brighton responded after falling 2-0 behind, with Diego Gomez scoring to reduce the deficit and spark late pressure, but David Raya’s sharp save from Yankuba Minteh and several near misses meant Hurzeler’s team departed London still searching for a first
league win since their last four-game streak ended.
All over against Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/N23Bd5bX0eBrighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 27, 2025
Hurzeler accepted that Arsenal’s second goal carried an element of bad luck for Brighton, with Rutter unable to react as the ball diverted off the forward into the net, yet the head coach also stressed that such moments often decide tight Premier League contests against sides challenging at the top.
While pleased by Brighton’s intensity after the interval, Hurzeler underlined that Premier League matches against Arsenal demand full concentration and courage from the first whistle, and Brighton’s failure to apply their pressing game consistently during the opening 45 minutes created problems that the late rally could not fully repair.
Hurzeler pointed out that Brighton have shown across this season that they can compete with strong Premier League opponents, noting that the team again created chances to level at 2-2, but the inability to take those opportunities, combined with small details at both ends, left Brighton without any reward from a competitive fixture.
In the first half, we were too passive, we weren't brave enough and didn't play with enough courage or personality, the Brighton boss said. In the second half,we did all that. It's about personality and courage. We showed that, but we didn't start well and weren't able to push out. It was a mix of believing in our own quality and pressingand that's what we missed. The second is an unlucky goal, although I thought we defended Arsenal's set-pieces well. I think the games when we play are never done, we proved it this season so far that we can always compete. We were close to making it 2-2, we had chances and we were in the game. But in the end, we weren't able to score.The small margins make the difference, and we have to understand how important they are. We proved in the second half [we can compete], but it is about doing it for 90 minutes. If you aren't doing it for 45 minutes, then you have to be defensively good. We definitely have to improve there.
Brighton now look to address those defensive lapses and improve their pressing structure over the full 90 minutes, as Hurzeler aims to turn competitive displays like the one at the Emirates Stadium into Premier League points and halt a five-match winless sequence.
