Hurzeler Erupts at Arsenal: 'Only One Team Actually Played Football'

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has guaranteed the football world won't stop talking about this one for days after unleashing a furious tirade against Arsenal in the aftermath of Wednesday's Premier League encounter, branding the league leaders' style as anti-football and making clear he'd never stoop to such tactics.

The Gunners claimed a messy 1-0 victory courtesy of Bukayo Saka's first-half strike, a result that, combined with Manchester City's slip-up against Nottingham Forest, has stretched Arsenal's advantage at the top to seven points.

The match was littered with controversy. Brighton had a late first-half penalty claim waved away, whilst Arsenal's David Raya required treatment on the turf multiple times after the interval.

With discourse about modern football's supposed decay already reaching fever pitch – and Arsenal firmly at the centre of that storm – Hurzeler's assertion that 'only one team tried to play football' and his vow never to 'win in that way' will keep the narrative spinning.

The Brighton boss didn't hold back after the final whistle, telling the Daily Mirror: "There was only one team that tried to play football today. I ask one question – do you ever see in a Premier League game the goalkeeper going down three times?"

"We should focus on our performance, we cannot control these types of things. I made my point before the game. We shouldn't concentrate on these things… let's talk about us. The Premier League needs to look at rules. There were so many [periods of time wasting]."

Having seemingly tried to change the subject, Hurzeler promptly returned to his grievance regardless.

"If they win the Premier League, no one will ask how they won it. In the end, it is about the rules," he continued. "If the referee allows everything, at the moment they are doing their own rules. It is difficult to judge that. I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way."

It's a remarkable outburst – the sort of thing that'll dominate the headlines until the next controversy inevitably sweeps in.