Mikel Arteta’s side arrived at the south coast with a perfect league record, but Brighton delivered a performance that left Arsenal struggling for answers from the opening stages.
According to teamTALK, Arsenal remain "huge admirers" of the Brazilian and had him close to the top of their summer wishlist before a serious knee injury in March took him out of contention.
Bruno Guimarães broke Sunderland’s resistance in the second half before Bukayo Saka converted a late penalty, giving Arsenal a 2-0 victory and preserving their perfect start to the Premier League campaign.
Footage of the incident quickly circulated online, with supporters reacting to the sight of the Argentine goalkeeper walking among them after Chelsea had suffered defeat.
Arsenal showed the resilience of champions as they recovered from an early Chelsea shock to secure a 2-1 victory in a pulsating London derby at the Emirates Stadium.
The Belgium winger was initially on Arsenal's radar, but the Gunners decided against paying Lyon's asking price of around £30 million. That decision opened the door for Sunderland, who moved quickly to agree a deal and put themselves in pole position for the 21-year-old.
Arsenal had to work for the victory, with both teams struggling to create clear opportunities during a cagey opening half. Villa came closest to breaking the deadlock when Emiliano Buendia's long-range effort struck the crossbar, while Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes and Saka also had attempts but failed to seriously trouble the home side's goalkeeper.
The draw was conducted under the Champions League's expanded format, with each of the 36 teams set to play eight different opponents — four at home and four away.
The exact dates and kick-off times for the individual matches will be announced by UEFA on Saturday, August 29.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s turbulent relationship with the Portugal national team could be heading towards an unexpected reconciliation, with reports suggesting the veteran forward may return for one final international chapter as he closes in on the historic 1,000-goal milestone.