‘What a surprise’ - Arteta responds to Hurzeler’s brutal comment accusing Arsenal of anti-football

A deflected early goal from Bukayo Saka was enough to secure a crucial 1-0 victory for Arsenal, but the match was overshadowed by heated exchanges on and off the pitch.

Tempers flared in the technical areas, with both managers engaging in a heated argument during the game.

Despite Brighton leading in possession, shots, and corners, they were left frustrated by what they perceived as cynical time-wasting from the league leaders.

Hurzeler, who had voiced concerns about such tactics before the game, did not hold back in his post-match press conference, insisting he would never adopt a similar approach to win.

"There was only one team that tried to play football tonight," the German manager fumed. "I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win it that way. 

“The Premier League has to make clearer rules and needs a limit for time-wasting because they have to protect the referees."

He continued, expressing his frustration with the officiating: "At the moment, I have the feeling they are doing their own rules, no matter how they are playing. 

“Every team will manage and waste time, but there has to be a limit—and the limit has to be set by the Premier League."

When confronted with Hurzeler's scathing comments, Arteta was dismissive and unapologetic. His initial, blunt response was simply, "What a surprise."

Declining to elaborate further, the Arsenal boss added, "You just go back to the previous games and you’ll find a lot of comments like this always. I love my players. That’s the highlight. I love my players, and I love the way we compete."

When pressed on whether he cared about the opinions of other managers, Arteta replied, "It depends on the comment, the person and the purpose," before shutting down the line of questioning with a curt "Next question."

The hard-fought victory was a significant one for Arsenal. Saka's goal on his 300th appearance for the club, combined with Manchester City's 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, saw the Gunners extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points.