MIKEL ARTETA fired back a brutal three-word response to Fabian Hurzeler’s raging anti-football complaints.
Arsenal snatched all three points from Brighton as Bukayo Saka’s early deflected goal proved the difference at the Amex.
Brighton had more possession, more shots, more attempts on target, more corners and a higher xG against the table toppers.
Tempers threatened to boil over on and off the pitch throughout the game with Hurzeler and Arteta clashing in the technical areas and furiously pointing fingers in an animated row.
Hurzeler and Brighton were particularly annoyed at their opponent’s perceived time-wasting and delay tactics.
Goalkeeper David Raya went down repeatedly while the Gunners made the most of stoppages to wind the clock down as they clung on for all three points.
Hurzeler raised the issue in his media commitments before the game and was clearly still feeling frustrated after the defeat as he brought it up again and insisted he would never want to “win in that way”.
The German fumed: “There was only one team that tried to play football tonight.
“I ask one question: did you [ever] see a Premier League game [where] a goalkeeper goes down three times?
“I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win it that way.
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“The Premier League has to make clearer rules, needs a limit, for time wasting, because they have to protect the referees.
“You can really feel that they do everything now to win this game, and in the end it’s about the rules.
“At the moment I have the feeling they are doing their own rules, no matter how they are playing. That’s why it’s difficult to judge that.
“And in the end, of course, 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.
“The limit has to be set by the referees. At the moment, they just do what they want.
“So if the Premier League, if the referee allows everything, then it’s difficult, then they make their own rules.
“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.
“If they win the Premier League, they won’t care how… and you can see they do everything to win the Premier League.”
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ARSENAL earned another massive three points in this nerve-shredding title race to go SEVEN points clear at the top.
Bukayo Saka’s deflected strike in the ninth minute gave the Gunners the lead away at Brighton on a huge night in the title race.
Gabriel Magalhaes proved a total rock at the back as Mikel Arteta’s side dug deep to hold on for a gritty 1-0 win at the Amex.
And their mood was boosted even more by Manchester City slipping up with a 2-2 draw at home with Nottingham Forest.
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However, Arteta was in no mood for niceties and refused to back down or apologise in his war of words with Hurzeler.
The Spaniard simply responded: “What a surprise.”
Asked if he wanted to expand on that, he added: “No.
“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, we love our players and I love the way we compete.”
When quizzed on if he cares what other managers think, the Arsenal chief replied: “It depends on the comment, the person and the purpose.”
Asked again about Hurzeler’s words, the Arsenal boss simply said: “Next question.”
Saka’s goal came on his 300th Arsenal appearance.
The goal and the result were made all the sweeter as the Gunners extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points because Manchester City only managed a 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest.
But it could have been a very different night – as Arsenal and Forest defenders made crucial goal-saving goalline clearances.
