Arsenal claimed a 1-0 win over Brighton, but Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler was caught on camera in a foul-mouthed exchange with a Gunners player after getting sick of their alleged time-wasting tactics
A video has surfaced showing Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler in an apparent foul-mouthed rant at Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie during the Gunners’ 1-0 victory.
The Seagulls’ boss made headlines with his post-match press conference with a scathing critique of Arsenal’s playing style, in which he slammed their alleged time-wasting tactics in the Premier League clash. The German manager ranted: “There was only one team who tried to play football today. I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way.”
Hurzeler didn’t reserve his criticism for the post-match interview alone, as he emerged as the latest vocal critic of Arsenal’s controversial playing style and approach at set pieces. When a throw-in was awarded to Arsenal, he handed the ball to Hincapie and seemed to instruct him: “F****** play football.” The Gunners defender responded by placing a finger on his lips, apparently suggesting the coach should be quiet.
Arsenal secured an early lead thanks to Bukayo Saka’s deflected effort in a scrappy battle on the south coast. Mikel Arteta’s squad now sits seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table, as title contenders Manchester City stumbled with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest at home, reports the Mirror.
Despite bagging the points, Arsenal’s performance didn’t earn them much praise. “I ask one question – do you ever see in a Premier League game the goalkeeper going down three times?” Hurzeler queried during his post-match press conference, after David Raya went to ground on three occasions.
“In the end, of course, every team will manage and waste time, but I think there has to be a limit, and the limit has to be set by the Premier League. The limit has to be set by the referees, at the moment they just do what they want.”
Arteta retorted: “What a surprise. You just go back to the previous games and you will find a lot of comments like this always. I love my players. That’s the highlight. I love my players, we love our players. I love the way we compete.”
Arsenal have come under fire for their ‘ugly’ style of play as they strive to break a 22-year Premier League title drought. Arteta responded to the criticism with a touch of sarcasm, saying: “I think they love our players, every time they talk about our players. They are the most loved ones in the country.”
The Gunners will now take a breather from Premier League action, heading to Mansfield Town for the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday. Following that, Arsenal will face Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.