Fabian Hürzeler
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Arsenal’s style of play has recently been criticized, despite their impressive performance in both the Premier League and Champions League. The Gunners currently lead the Premier League by seven points over Manchester City and topped the Champions League league phase, indicating their dominance in European football. However, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler was among the latest to voice concerns about Arsenal’s approach following their defeat to the Gunners.
Fabian Hurzeler said: “There was only one team that tried to play football today. I ask one question – do you ever see in a Premier League game the goalkeeper going down three times? We should focus on our performance, we cannot control these types of things. I made my point before the game. We shouldn’t concentrate on these things… let’s talk about us. The Premier League needs to look at rules. There were so many [periods of time wasting].”
In response, football legends Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker have come to Arsenal’s defense, labeling the criticism as “absolute nonsense” and attributing it to jealousy from rival teams. Speaking on “The Rest Is Football” podcast, Shearer expressed his disbelief at the negative remarks surrounding Arsenal’s playing style.
Alan Shearer said: “What’s your thoughts on this? I think it’s absolute nonsense about people saying ‘it’s not great football to watch. Yeah, the Brighton manager said it himself didn’t he? I mean, I couldn’t believe he came out with that rubbish. He should concentrate on his own team and their own form and where they are in the league rather than speaking about someone else’s team.”
Lineker echoed Shearer’s sentiments, pointing out that such tactics are common in modern football and not unique to Arsenal.
Gary Lineker said: “Yeah he spoke after the game of course on that. He had a swipe didn’t he at the way goalkeeper went down with a couple of injuries. Teams do that nowadays and that is something they need to look at because goalkeepers don’t suddenly get injured three times in the last few of minutes of a football match. Or twice. Most teams do it. When a team is doing really well, there is going to be some jealousy of that and we saw it with Liverpool last season as well at times. Not after they lost, it’s important to add that, he spoke about it before their game in his press conference when he thought the game – he doesn’t love the game at the moment.”
The debate over Arsenal’s playing style highlights the competitive nature of the Premier League, where top teams often face scrutiny from rivals. Despite the criticism, Arsenal’s position at the top of the league and their success in Europe speak volumes about their capabilities under Mikel Arteta’s management. As discussions continue, the focus remains on Arsenal’s ability to maintain their form and silence their critics through performance on the pitch.
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