Fabian Hürzeler concedes a narrow defeat with Brighton & Hove Albion against league leaders Arsenal FC. Afterwards, the coach heavily criticizes the Londoners' style of play.
05.03.2026, 10:09
05.03.2026, 10:15
dpa
Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion coach Fabian Hürzeler has lashed out at the league leaders following their narrow defeat against Arsenal FC. The 33-year-old criticized the Londoners' style of play and accused coach Mikel Arteta's team of trying to stall for time.
"I think there was only one team trying to play football today and that's why I'm proud of the way they did it," the German, who also holds a Swiss passport, jibed after the 1-0 defeat. Arsenal had already taken the lead in the ninth minute with a goal from Bukayo Saka and concentrated on defense for the rest of the game. At the end of the game, all the relevant statistics were in Brighton's favor.
Hürzeler: Arsenal make their "own rules"
Hürzeler accused the Gunners of "making their own rules". "That's why I think it's so difficult to punish," he said. Arteta reacted ironically to his colleague's statements. "What a surprise," said the Spaniard, who has already faced such accusations more frequently in recent weeks.
He brushed off the criticism. "I love my players. That's the most important thing. I love my players, we love our players and I love the way we perform," he clarified.
In the run-up to the game, Hürzeler had already complained about how much time Arsenal took to execute set-pieces. After the game, he renewed his criticism on a massive scale and even attacked Arteta's coaching credentials.
Hürzeler criticizes Arteta and calls for stricter rules
"I will never be a coach who tries to win in this way. I want to develop players. I want the players to keep improving and keep playing football on the pitch," he said. While every team tries to win as much time as possible, "I think there has to be a limit to that and that limit has to be set by the Premier League. At the moment they can just do what they want," he said.
The win extended Arsenal's lead at the top of the table to seven points over closest rivals Manchester City, although they have already played one more game. Brighton are in 13th place, but have a comfortable nine-point cushion over the relegation zone.
