Post Match report for the Arsenal game - Saturday, 19th September 2026
PREMIER LEAGUE 26/27: Brighton V Arsenal - 19/9/26 P5
* * * * * A VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY * * * * *
RESULT: 3-0 ~ Gross Kostoulas Andres . . (h-t 2-0)
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - third home match of 5 fixtures to date . Sat 3pm
BEFORE KICKOFF: this game celebrated our 125th year of history.
Senior Brighton fans may remember hosting Arsenal, back in the day at what was the old Goldstone Ground by Hove Park, during our rise from lower leagues to division one. It certainly was an initial exercise in understanding what was required to participate at elite level.
Today there were bands playing, flags waving, pyrotechnics exploding and centre-circle celebrations amid decorations
WEATHER: cloudy . KIT: commemorative blue & cream . ATMOSPHERE: party time
FABIAN HURZELER was happy to be in the company of the Prem champions manager. He has much greater longevity than normal for this elite division - standing as proof of success in an unforgiving domestic league.
FH made selection decisions based on what went before, what happened in training and what was his perceived outcome.
INJURED: 5 Dunk 8 Hinshelwood 27 Wieffer 36 Yohanna 39 Azeez
REHAB: 7 Mitoma 9 Tzimas 11 Minteh 28 Ferguson
SQUAD: 49 Oriola . OOL: 16 Cashin 22 Duberry 40 Buonanotte
STARTING SHAPE: 4-2-3-1
TEAM: 1 Verbruggen
24 Kadioglu 44 Vuskovic 4 Struijk 21 Boscagli
25 Gomez 14 Andres 26 Ayari 29 de Cuyper
13 Gross 19 Kostoulas
SUBS: 10 Rutter (76), 20 Costinha (76), 30 Svoboda (86), 33 ORiley (86), 35 Yalcouye (86)
BENCH: 23 Steele 3 Hadjam 12 David 15 Osman
GOALS:
1-0 - 31 . GROSS receives a ball from Kostoulas and makes it count in off a post.
2-0 - 45 . KOSTOULAS is fed by Gomez then strikes a low drive into the corner.
3-0 - 57 . ANDRES opens his account with a header at the back stick from a Gross corner.
YELLOWS: Kostoulas 33, Kadioglu 45, Struijk 71, de Cuyper 91
CHANGES: 76 Rutter & Costinha for Kostoulas & Kadioglu
86 Svoboda, ORiley & Yalcouye for Struijk, Gomez & Andres
FIRST HALF: hosts have early momentum but travellers respond to the half hour mark.
Locals then lead and double the deficit just prior to the interval.
SECOND HALF: prior to the hour mark Seagulls score a third goal.
Late subs are inserted.
IN THE END: an historic victory that perhaps defied pre-match forecasts & expectations.
NUMBERS: poss 40%-60% on target 5-2, off target 12-9, corners 5-6,
fouls 13-10, yellows 4-1, subs 5-5, shape 4231-4231 . . . . . gd11 pt10 po3
FS
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