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'Only one team tried to play' - Arsenal earn the points, but not plaudits
'Only one team tried to play' - Arsenal earn the points, but not plaudits
Arsenal are now firmly cast as the villains of the Premier League title race - but this frenzied night at Brighton might just be the one that ultimately makes them victors.
The Gunners would, in all likelihood, end up as unpopular, unloved champions as their hard-nosed approach comes under increasingly unflattering scrutiny.
And more came their way after a contentious eyesore of a game settled by Bukayo Saka's early goal, one that saw Arsenal's lead at the top of the table extended to seven points to create a potentially decisive advantage.
Will Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta care if the means justify the end of a 22-year wait to win the Premier League? Unlikely.
Arteta's side have been criticised for what outside observers regard as their employment of dark arts and an over-reliance on set-piece expertise to maintain their position at the top of the table.
And the 1-0 victory at Amex Stadium was the very definition of ugly. In fact to describe it as "ugly" is an insult to ugly.
When the half-time whistle arrived their xG was just 0.01 and the second half was hardly an improvement given it took until the 88th minute for Kai Havertz to register their second effort on target. The final result was the 10th time this season they have won by a single goal.
It was certainly not pleasing on the eye to Brighton's head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who spent almost the entire game enraged by Arsenal's strategy and what unfolded before him.
And yet, as the Gunners fans reacted joyously at the final whistle to this win and also at Manchester City's failure to beat Nottingham Forest, this beast of a triumph might turn out to be a beauty.
As Arsenal celebrated and City slipped, this felt like it may well be the defining night in this tense battle to the Premier League finishing line.
This is not a popularity contest. It is a title contest Arsenal are currently winning.
Hurzeler, who flagged up what he clearly regarded as Arsenal's time-wasting before the game, did not have his opinion changed by what he saw.
I think there was only one team who tried to play football today", said Hurzeler, "and therefore I'm proud of how they did it.
Hurzeler added: "I will never be that kind of manager who tries to win in that way. I want to do well. I want my players to keep improving, keep 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 referees, at the moment they just do what they want.
The Brighton boss continued: "If I would ask now everyone in the room if he really enjoyed this football game I'm sure maybe one raises his arm because he is a big Arsenal fan but besides that, no chance."
Arteta defended his corner, greeting Hurzeler's criticism with a caustic "what a surprise" before saying: "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.
And on external criticism, Arteta replied: "I think they love our players. I mean, every time they talk about our players, I think they are the most loved ones in the country."
He added: "We look after our own garden."
The Gunners' garden currently looks very rosy, but it is increasingly clear that if they are to win their first Premier League since Arsene Wenger's "Invincibles" 22 years ago, there will not be many admirers outside their own part of north London.
This mess of a match was settled by a goal in keeping with Arsenal's win, a routine ninth-minute shot from Bukayo Saka that took a deflection off Carlos Baleba before slipping through the legs of Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen.
This was about as creative as it got for Arsenal as they were forced back by Brighton, barely creating another opening, hanging on helped by immense, committed defending.
At the heart of it all was the magnificent Gabriel, repelling all Brighton's borders and marshalling resources with his outstanding central defensive partner William Saliba missing through injury.
Arsenal's lead is now seven points, although City still have a game in hand and face the Gunners at Etihad Stadium. It still had the feeling of a result that carried huge weight.
"You just look at this Arsenal side and how they go about winning games, they manage to just grind out results and that's all they've done tonight," said former England goalkeeper Rob Green on BBC Radio 5 Live.
They've had a stroke of good fortune. There's not one player that can turn around and say they had a good game, except maybe [Piero] Hincapie and maybe one or two others defensively.
Arsenal are almost revelling in their status as the bad guys of the Premier League, and Hurzeler's pre-match words added spice to an already red-hot atmosphere.
He turned in anger to fourth official David Webb after only eight minutes when Arsenal lingered over a throw-in. Every delay (and there were plenty) brought howls of outrage from Brighton's fans.
Arsenal's huddle at the start of the second half was greeted with more derision and jeers. If Hurzeler was making a point to Brighton's fans with his words before the game, they hit the bullseye.
The fury was at its height on the hour when Arsenal keeper David Raya made a save from Georginio Rutter down to his right then slumped to the ground holding his shoulder, requiring lengthy treatment.
Brighton's fans were at boiling point and Hurzeler clearly felt the same as he said later: "I ask one question. Did you see in the Premier League game a goalkeeper going down three times? No."
The ill-temper continued into stoppage time when match-winner Saka went down and stayed down.
Clearly believing it was an act of gamesmanship and a delaying tactic, Brighton's Joel Veltman unceremoniously tried to drag Saka to his feet, prompting a push and an angry exchange.
It was the last flare-up of a confrontational night, one that ends with Arsenal having their destiny in their own hands as they stand eight games from title glory.
And if they do finally claim that elusive Premier League crown, Arsenal will believe this is the ultimate answer to their growing band of detractors.
Source: BBC
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