Arteta and Hurzeler Make Up Before Brighton Match

Mikel Arteta has settled his differences with Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler. This comes ahead of their match on Saturday after a heated exchange last season.

Hurzeler had criticized Arteta’s game plan during a 1-0 loss to Arsenal at the Amex Stadium in March. He said, “only one team tried to play football” and accused Arsenal of “making their own rules.”

As the champions return to Brighton this weekend, everyone will be watching to see if any tension remains between the two.

Hurzeler stood firm this week when asked about his comments from last season. He said, “I think it’s very important that in football there are opinions. I will definitely always share my opinion if I am asked. But, in the end, I congratulate Arsenal for being deserved champions. They deserved it.”

On Friday, Arteta said there is no lingering animosity from Hurzeler’s remarks. He told reporters, “That’s all done. That’s all in the past. I have huge respect for Fabian, and what he’s done and what Brighton has done as a club. It’s just remarkable, and tomorrow is going to be a beautiful game to watch, I’m sure.”

Arsenal has started their Premier League title defense strongly. They have won four matches in a row, putting them at the top of the table. They also won their first Champions League match against Napoli and secured a spot in the League Cup fourth round on Tuesday after beating Ipswich.

Including the Community Shield against Manchester City, Arsenal has now won seven straight matches. Another win on the south coast would match the club’s 123-year record for the best start to a season.

Arteta said, “We know how complicated it is to win a football match at this level. So, to win seven, it tells a story. After the World Cup, there were a lot of unknowns about how the players and the team were going to react. We didn’t have any time with them to work together. But I said from day one, the attitude and what I was seeing, I was really impressed with. Then you have to put it down to performances.”

Arteta has not signed a contract extension yet, but talks have been going on for months. He is calm about the situation. He said, “I think we are all very much aligned; whenever the time is right we’ll get that done. There is nothing to be concerned about.”