Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi defended his players after their 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal.

De Zerbi insists injuries were a factor on the day.

He later said: "We played a good first half and played well in the second half until the second goal. After that we played not so good and deserved to lose against one of the best Premier League sides. With our injured players we can't compete against Arsenal.

"We are sorry and disappointed for our fans. We wanted to get points, to win the game and compete in better ways.

"We are spending a tough moment because we are playing without a lot of injured players. It is tough.

"We are doing better last season because then we played only one game a week. The next season I think we can reach the same level. We have a lot of young players showing promise.

"We have to be positive and work, keep the focus on the pitch. I am suffering because it is tough to lose."