Arsenal's Report Card: Odegaard Shines, But Brighton Defeat Exposes Gaps
An eight-game unbeaten run ended in a heavy defeat to Brighton, but the underlying numbers still point to Arsenal's best start in over a century.
Brian Mwangi · 21 September 2026 · 6 min read
6 min read
Arsenal's best start to a season in 123 years came to an abrupt halt with a 3-0 defeat to Brighton, but the underlying picture from the opening weeks remains largely positive.
The standout performers
Martin Odegaard has already bettered his goal tally from last season and continues to look close to his best. David Raya produced a world-class penalty save against Sunderland, while Riccardo Calafiori has offered more going forward than several of Arsenal's recruited forwards.
- Kai Havertz has led the line effectively, aside from a quiet afternoon against Brighton.
- Myles Lewis-Skelly has made the most of his midfield opportunities.
- Odegaard's output has been the clearest marker of Arsenal's progress so far.
The shortfalls transfer business was meant to fix
Viktor Gyokeres has managed a single shot across two matches Arsenal dominated and looks short on confidence. Eberechi Eze's opportunities have come almost exclusively from the left, a role he has not yet made his own, while Christos Tzolis has cooled off after a promising pre-season.
An eight-win run would have been a club record; instead, Arsenal now face the international break with a reminder that squad depth, not just their front-runners, will decide how far this campaign goes.
