Fabian Hurzeler has hit out at Arsenal’s ‘time-wasting’ against Brighton and has singled out David Raya for criticism following his side’s 1-0 defeat.
Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal was enough to secure the victory for Mikel Arteta’s side, who are now seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after Manchester City were held at home to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest.
Brighton, meanwhile, were unhappy in the first half after they were denied a penalty for Gabriel Martinelli’s pull on Mats Wieffer.
VAR checked the incident and deemed ‘there was no clear and obvious error’ by referee Chris Kavanagh.
In his press conference before the game, Hurzeler called on the Premier League to update their rules in order to combat Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics.
And speaking after Brighton’s defeat, Hurzeler doubled down on his plea to the Premier League, pointing out that Raya was the worst offender during their game on Wednesday evening.
‘For me it’s a penalty,’ Hurzeler said.
Your football fix
Metro‘s Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week’s biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.
Sign up here, it’s an open goal.
Asked if he had received an explanation, Hurzeler said: ‘No, I think in the end we have to accept the decision.
‘It’s more about, for me, that he handles the other things better. In general, the Premier League needs to find a rule because I think that’s nothing football what Arsenal did there and therefore that was more the point I made.’
When asked to be specific on his complaints about Arsenal, Hurzeler replied: ‘I think everyone saw it, therefore everyone has to make his own opinion. I said it before the game and I think now we shouldn’t use too many words about this, we should more focus on the performance and what we did well tonight.’
Asked for a potential solution, Hurzeler replied: ‘Add to game time, give more yellow cards for time wasting.
‘Can I ask you, did you see a goalkeeper go down three times in a game?’
In his post-match press conference, Hurzeler was once again scathing about Arsenal’s performance: ‘I loved the effort from my boys, I loved how they played football, I think there was only one team who tried to play football today and therefore I’m proud how they did it.
‘We have to keep working on the details, keep working on the small margins in the final third to create more chances, that’s our job and our responsibility, we have to keep working.’
Asked if he understands why Arsenal are running down the clock in games, Hurzeler replied: ‘Yeah, but that’s what I mean, different kinds of winning, if they win the Premier League no one will ask how they won the Premier League.
‘In the end it’s about the rules, if the Premier League, if the referee allows everything then it’s difficult, then they make their own rules, at the moment I have the feeling they are making their own rules no matter how they’re playing so that’s why I think it’s difficult to judge that.
‘Overall, like I said, I will never be a kind of manager who tries to win in that way, I want to develop players, I want my players to keep improving and playing football on the pitch.
‘In the end, of course 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, the limit has to be set by the Premier League, at the moment they can just do what they want.
‘I made my point before the game and I stick to it, everyone else can judge it on their own. If I asked everyone in this room did they enjoy this football game, I’m sure maybe one raises his arm because he’s a big Arsenal fan, besides that, no chance.
‘In the end we have to make the limits or the Premier League has to make the limits. Where will this go in the future? One game we played 60 minutes net time [ball in play], then when you play against Arsenal it’s only 50 minutes, that’s ten minutes difference. This is what the supporters are paying for, you get my point.
‘I won’t complain about the referee because it’s really difficult for him, 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, that’s why you need rules, limits.
‘That’s also what he [Kavanagh] admits to me at half time. I didn’t talk to him about the penalty, we just talked about how he can reduce the time wasted, and he says it’s even difficult for him.
‘What I said is making clear rules and I think that’s the responsibility of the Premier League because then you can protect the referee, in the end you can’t have a go at the referee because of that, they just try to make the job the best they can do. I think the Premier League definitely has to help them more.
‘I think today what should he do, what should he do when the goalkeeper goes down three times in the game? He’s limited because maybe he gives one yellow card then he does it again, do you really think he gives him a second yellow card? That’s my point.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.