BRIGHTON, England: Mikel Arteta hit back at criticism from Fabian Hurzeler after Arsenal edged closer to the Premier League title with a 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.
Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal early in the first half at the Amex Stadium, his deflected strike sealing Arsenal’s third straight league victory.
The result left the Gunners seven points clear of Manchester City, who were held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal are closing in on their first English league crown since 2004, but Arteta’s side have drawn criticism for a pragmatic style built on strong defending and effective set-pieces rather than flair.
Brighton boss Hurzeler accused Arsenal of time-wasting and disrupting the flow of the match.
“I think there was only one team that tried to play football today,” he said, also questioning goalkeeper, David Raya, going down injured multiple times.
“They make their own rules,” Hurzeler added. “Is this what the supporters are paying for?”
Arteta dismissed the criticism, saying: “What a surprise. If you go back through previous games, you will find a lot of comments like this.”
“I love my players and I love the way we compete,” he added, insisting Arsenal deserved praise for another crucial victory in the title race.
