In what could prove to be a pivotal night in the race for the Premier League title, Arsenal extended their lead to seven points at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls manager Fabian Hurzeler, however, has demanded a rule change following the antics of the north London club.
On his 300th appearance for the club, Bukayo Saka’s deflected shot in the ninth minute of the contest remained unanswered by the Seagulls and Mikel Arteta’s men proved they have the know-how and grit to become champions of England.
Manchester City’s slip up – in the form of a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest – has granted Arsenal with a slither of space at the top and it’s now up to Arteta and Co to remain focused and win the league for the first time in over two decades.
| Date | Opponent (H/A) | Result in reverse fixture |
| 14/03 | Everton (H) | Everton 0-1 Arsenal |
| 11/04 | Bournemouth (H) | Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal |
| 19/04 | Manchester City (A) | Arsenal 1-1 Man City |
| 25/04 | Newcastle United (H) | Newcastle Utd 1-2 Arsenal |
| 02/05 | Fulham (H) | Fulham 0-1 Arsenal |
Fabian Hurzeler calls for Premier League rule change after Brighton 0-1 Arsenal
Despite the importance of Arsenal’s win, much has been made of the post-match comments of Hurzeler. Speaking to reporters after the match, per the Mirror, the Brighton boss claimed that a change in the Premier League rules is needed.
“I will never be the manager who tries to play that way. The Premier League needs a rule… you need rules… you need a limit. There was only one team that tried to win the game. I ask you one question: ‘Did you see a goalkeeper go down three times to get treatment?’ I do not want to waste my time talking about it.”
“If you ask everyone here in this room did they enjoy this game, maybe one raises their hand, because he’s a big Arsenal fan,” Hurzeler said. “If they win the Premier League, they won’t care how… and you can see they do everything to win the Premier League.”
Winning the Premier League would cement Arteta’s legacy in the long list of brilliant Arsenal managers over the years – and that would be the case despite being persistently bashed for his side’s style of play.
Hurzeler, on this occasion, is evidently peeved at the prospect of time-wasting. Per Arsenal Insider, he added: “The Premier League needs to find a rule because I think that’s not football what Arsenal did there. And therefore, that was more the point I made to him when you see.”
“Add the game time, more yellow cards for time wasting,” Hurzeler responded when quizzed about a potential solution.
Before their match with Brighton on Wednesday evening, proved by statistics provided by Opta via the BBC, Arsenal have taken the longest time (an average of 44.4 seconds) to restart play from corners.
Mikel Arteta’s sharp response to Hurzeler’s post-match comments
As a means of defending his side, Arteta felt incensed to reply. When informed of his Brighton counterparts’ eyebrow-raising remarks, Arteta said: “What a surprise. Just go back to the previous comments 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, and I love the way we compete.”
In their pursuit of glory, the fixtures continue to come thick and fast for Arsenal. The Gunners next face League One’s Mansfield Town in the FA Cup before a trip to Germany to lock horns with Bayer Leverkusen for the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 encounter.
Still fighting on all four fronts, Arsenal will be hoping to end the season with extra silverware added to their cabinet – but winning the Premier League would feel the sweetest given they’ve finished second three seasons on the trot.
