Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table to seven points following a 1-0 away win at Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week. But a Brighton star has hit out at the Mikel Arteta-coached outfit for their comparatively reserved style of play.
Arsenal Accused of Wasting Time in Recent 1–0 Triumph
Earlier this Wednesday, Mar. 4, Arsenal held their ground against a spirited Brighton side to register a vital 1-0 victory. Bukayo Saka bagged the decisive goal in the ninth minute of the contest with a left-footed strike misjudged by Seagulls goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
During a post-match interaction with BBC Match of the Day, Brighton midfielder Pascal Groß stated that the Premier League leaders resorted to time-wasting to defend their lead.
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“We found a lot of solutions against them. We created a lot. It wasn’t the case today, so we are disappointed that we outplayed them… no words needed for that. I said my opinion on it. I’m really proud of my fans for how they supported us,” the German said.
The former Borussia Dortmund star added, “Everyone can make their own decision, but I’m sure you don’t like to watch these football games (with a number of stoppages). I made my point, I think it’s a fair point. Fans want to see a football game, not time wasting.”
Groß, who rejoined the Seagulls for his second spell from Dortmund earlier in January, also highlighted how Arsenal hindered his side with their physicality and time-wasting.
Speaking separately to TNT Sports, Groß claimed, “From corners, they block us. They don’t even watch the ball. That’s how it is, but it’s also why they keep a clean sheet. They defend strong and on the edge. It kills the rhythm. If you watch the game back, they’re very good at doing it. They take time setting things up for themselves. It plays in their favor.”
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Apart from Groß, Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler was also incensed by the Emirates Stadium club’s recent display, hinting there was “only one team who tried to play football”.
During the recent match at the Amex Stadium, Arteta’s team had just 40% possession, took seven shots, and completed 226 passes at 70% accuracy. In comparison, the Seagulls recorded 11 shots and completed 385 passes with 82% accuracy.
Arsenal, who took 30 minutes and 51 seconds to restart play against Brighton, are atop the league standings with 67 points from 30 matches. They will next face EFL League One club Mansfield Town in an FA Cup fifth-round encounter this Saturday, Mar. 7.
