Gross scored one of Brighton’s three goals in the win over the defending champions, and with two goal involvements he is now directly involved in more scores than any team-mate this season, sharing the top spot with another Brighton player on six. He has three goals and three assists.
Charalampos Kostoulas also scored a long-range effort before half-time, and Chema Andrés added the third around the hour mark from a corner, ending Arsenal’s perfect start to the season.
Arsenal had won seven in a row in all competitions before the defeat at Falmer stadium, and conceded more goals in one afternoon than in their previous nine league games combined. Gross, the 35-year-old German who has been at Brighton since 2017, was full of praise for the collective display on the day the club marked its 125th anniversary.
“I think we showed fantastic intensity, waited for mistakes and punished Arsenal. It was a strong performance, a very complete performance.
“We won the ball high up the pitch and attacked really quickly. After the last two wins we are full of confidence, and we wanted to finish really strongly before the international break.”
Head coach Fabian Hürzeler also said the clean sheet was the foundation of the win, adding that everyone had the mindset of defending first.
“When you have a clean sheet, then we know that we are always able to score goals.”
Gross, meanwhile, was happy to play down his own influence.
“I feel really good. I can’t complain. I’m just trying to help the team when I can. I really enjoy life in Brighton, I love it,” he said.