Brighton & Hove Albion boss Fabian Hürzeler has launched a scathing attack on Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics by calling on the Premier League to intervene as the Gunners “play by their own rules.”
Bukayo Saka’s deflected ninth-minute strike was enough to earn a 1-0 win at American Express Stadium and move Arsenal seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The game was an ill-tempered affair with Hürzeler and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta exchanging words on the sideline as Brighton grew increasingly irate at what they perceived as repeated attempts to slow the game down in both halves.
Hürzeler had suggested before the game that the Gunners were “creative” in how long they took to restart the game from corners but went much further afterward as his frustration reached new levels.
The 33-year-old even suggested referee Chris Kavanagh told him at halftime on Wednesday that he was unable to sufficiently punish Arsenal for their time-wasting.
“There’s different kinds of winning,” he said. “If they win the Premier League, no one will ask how they win the Premier League.
“You can really feel that they do everything to win this game. In the end it is about the rules. If the Premier league, if the referee allows everything, then it is difficult.
“They make their own rules. At the moment, I have the feeling they are doing their own rules, no matter how they are playing. That’s why I think it is difficult to judge that.
“Do you want to send off the goalkeeper for two yellow cards for wasting time? This will never happen. So what should he do? That’s the thing and that’s why you need rules, limits.
“That’s also what he [Kavanagh] admits to me at halftime. We just talked about how can he reduce the time wasted and he said it is isn’t even difficult for him. We need clear rules because then you can protect the referee. They have to stick to some things, and the Premier League has to help them more.”
Brighton had more possession, more shots and generated a higher expected goals figure but still lost.
“I loved how we played football,” Hürzeler said. “I think there was only one team that tried to play football today, and therefore I’m proud how they did it.
“I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way, I want to develop players. I want players to keep improving, keep playing football on the pitch. In the end, 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. At the moment, they just can do what they want.—ESPN
