BRIGHTON, England — It was true that the biggest cheers of the night in a game this bad came because of something that happened elsewhere.
Arsenal had just secured a 1-0 win over Brighton when news leaked seconds after rivals Manchester City had drawn at home to Nottingham Forest, leaving the Gunners seven points clear and with the Premier League title back in their hands. Renewed optimism spread among the traveling fans, who sang as they walked out: “And now you’ll believe us, we’ll win the league.”
Time will tell, but a swing like this could provide an unforgettable moment from an otherwise completely forgettable match. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka scored the only goal nine minutes later with a tame shot that took a slight deflection off Brighton midfielder Carlos Paleba, which did not exonerate goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s poor attempt at a save. Arsenal were largely passive after that, content to slow the game down and conserve energy and possession, to the point of aggravating Brighton from the start.
Brighton manager Fabian Horzler somewhat set the tone with his pre-match comments highlighting the length of time it takes Arsenal to restart play from corner kicks. The home fans got the message. They jeered that the Gunners were slow to restart play with goal kicks, corner kicks, free kicks – basically, any time the ball went out of play. Goalkeeper David Raya fell to the ground several times. Referee Chris Kavanagh warned him against wasting time at one point.
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Horzler disagreed with fourth official David Webb and exchanged heated words with Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta midway through the first half. Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie appeared to silence Horzler when he curled in a throw-in from the Brighton dugout shortly before half-time. The hostility continued after that as Brighton began to build momentum, spurred by the introduction of Yankuba Menteh in the first half.
However, Arteta spoke of the need to address Arsenal’s match management after a number of shaky performances in the second half. Credit where credit is due: they watched the last 20 minutes with a degree of authority.
The end justifies the means, but when the phrase was directed at Horzler, he chose to launch a scathing attack on Arsenal’s approach. “There are different types of winning,” he said in response. “If they win the Premier League, no one will ask how they won the Premier League.
“You can really feel that they are doing everything to win this match. In the end, it’s about the rules. If the Premier League allowed the referee everything, it would be difficult. They make their own rules.”
“…Do you want to send the goalkeeper off for two yellow cards for wasting time? That will never happen. So what should he do? That’s the thing, that’s why you need rules and limits.”
“That’s also what he (referee Kavanagh) admitted to me at half-time. We just talked about how to reduce downtime, and he said it’s not difficult for him. We need clear rules because then you can protect the referee. They have to adhere to some things and the Premier League has to help them more.”
The criticism continued. Horzler said he liked the way his team played, and that “there was only one team that tried to play football today.”
“…I will never be the kind of manager who tries to win like that,” he said. “I want to develop the players. I want the players to keep improving, to keep playing football on the pitch. In the end, every team will manage to manage and waste time, but I think there has to be a limit.
“I’m not sure if we’re going to now ask everyone here in the room: Did they really enjoy this football match?” I’m sure someone is probably raising their arm because they’re a big Arsenal fan. “Besides, there’s no chance.”
“Where will this go in the future? That’s my question. One game we play 60 minutes in normal time and then we play against Arsenal, only 50 minutes. The difference is 10 minutes, is this what the fans pay for?”
Arteta refused to engage in response. “What a surprise,” he said when the substance of Horzler’s diatribe was brought up to him.
Brighton may not have been able to stop Arsenal’s march to the title, but they added to the soundtrack for the coming weeks. Alongside the complaints the Gunners face over their reliance on set-pieces, there is now a public condemnation of time-wasting, something other opponents will be asked about and any examples of which away fans will seize upon.
It only adds to what Arteta refers to as the outside noise surrounding Arsenal’s bid to win their first title since 2004. But when the dust settles, the Gunners will reflect on a night in which they extended their lead at the top and piled the pressure on City.
If it’s a choice between making friends and winning a title, there’s no contest.
