ARSENAL are the pantomime villains of this Premier League title race – and they don’t care what anyone thinks.
In fact, you get the sense and his players are actually revelling in their new role.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat BrightonCredit: AFP via Getty Images
Brighton boss was unhappy with Arsenal for timewastingCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
For years, were hammered for being a soft touch – but now they have swapped substance for style.
That much was clear at Brighton on Wednesday night as the Gunners leaned into the dark arts to get the win that moves them seven points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Prem.
Arsenal took 30 minutes and 51 seconds to restart play against Brighton, their highest total in a Prem match this season.
So it came as no surprise when Brighton boss blew his top after the game.
He claimed his side were the only ones trying to play football and called on Prem bosses to clamp down on Arsenal’s time-wasting.
It was a similar story during the game and at one point in the first half Hurzeler was going mad as the Gunners took an age to take a throw-in.
The response of Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie was to simply hold a finger to his lips and shush the Brighton boss.
And why shouldn’t Arsenal lean into their tag of being unpopular champions elect?
This is crunch time and it is all about Arteta’s men digging in to get over the line.
That is what champions do – especially when they are trying to end a 22-year wait to lift the title.
The famous Invincibles side of back then is rightly remembered as a great one, yet they were happy to rough it when needed.
Let’s not forget, they drew 12 of their 38 games that season. And 14 of those 26 wins were by a one-goal margin.
So don’t pretend that Arsene Wenger’s side weren’t happy to timewaste and lean into the dark arts when required.
The style of that team certainly helped the mood music around them, though, and that explains part of the heat Arteta’s men get.
The Invincibles were blessed with flair players like , and .
The pillars of Arteta’s side are physical specimens like and Gabriel. They are great players, but they are effective as opposed to entertaining.
Those on social media would choose a far more colourful word than effective – and that feels like half the problem in the current climate.
The pile-on starts far more easily online than it would have 22 years ago and spreads quicker.
Mikel Arteta chose not to fire back at Hurzeler’s commentsCredit: Getty
Arsenal are seven points clear at the top of the Prem after winning at BrightonCredit: Getty
Changing the narrative now feels impossible for Arsenal, not when they have just eight league games to go.
So they have to lean into being the pantomime villains, which seems strange when up against .
Hurzeler wasn’t the first to have a pop at the Gunners this season – and he won’t be the last.
Former midfielder has said no trophy should be awarded because the style of football has been so boring.
Alan Pardew jumped on the bandwagon after Wednesday’s game and said Arsenal will have “an asterisk next to their name” due to their tactics.
Even in Europe they are piling in.
Swiss newspaper Blick ran a piece on Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover earlier this week with the headline: ‘Is this man ruining football?’
Arteta has, so far, seemed happy enough to brush off the criticism.
Asked about Hurzeler’s comments, he replied: “What a surprise.”
A few more reporters had a stab at trying to get Arteta to fire back, before he eventually said: “Next question.”
The Arsenal boss chose to bite his tongue, however the stats show he would be within his rights to hit back.
The Gunners are guilty of timewasting – but they are not the worst offenders in the Prem this season.
They sit seventh for average ball in play time across their Prem games this season.
Specifically for throw-ins, they are the fifth worst offenders with an average delay of 19.6 seconds.
The one stat Arteta’s side do top is the time they take to swing in a corner. No one in the Prem beats their average of 44.5 seconds.
But Arsenal can argue that is not about time-wasting and instead about getting everything ready for their lethal set-pieces.
No team can compete with Arsenal’s threat from corners and they have scored nine winners that way this season – the most by any side in a Prem campaign.
Hurzeler’s anger last night can be explained by the fact that Arsenal were worse than usual when it came to running the clock down.
They took 30 minutes and 51 seconds to restart play against Brighton, their highest total in a Prem match this season.
Arsenal’s average time to take a corner rose to a staggering 53.7 seconds. Each throw-in took nearly three seconds longer.
So maybe Hurzeler lashing out was understandable – but what does he expect at this stage of the season?
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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