Brighton boss takes swipe at Arsenal calls for major rule change

Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton taken on Arsenal on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)

Fabian Hurzeler has fanned the flames ahead of Brighton ’s Premier League game against Arsenal by suggesting major rule changes are required to curb the Gunners’ time wasting tactics.

Mikel Arteta ’s side have led the way for the majority of the season and currently enjoy a five point lead at the top of the table, albeithaving played a game more than Manchester City .

Despite their impressive campaign, the plaudits have been in anything but plentiful supply in recent weeks with a reliance on goals from set-pieces one of many barbs hurled at Arteta’s team.

Arsenal’s prowess from corner kicks was again in evidence on Sunday as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka provided the ammunition from which William Saliba and Jurrien Timber were able to score the goals that earned a valuable three points.

The amount of shirt-pulling, blocking and barging that led to both goals was again under the microscope with former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit launching a passionate defence of his old side.

Ahead of tomorrow’s crucial game, Hurzeler has identified another issue and has asked the officials to clamp down on the amount of time it takes for Arsenal to take their set-pieces.

‘It disturbs the rhythm of the game and there are no clear rules any more, how much time you can spend for a corner, how much time you can spend for a throw-in,’ Hurzeler said.

@metrosportuk Chelsea have MORE red cards than home league wins 🫣 After Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1, we talked about the Blues’ shocking discipline this season — they’ve now received nine red cards, including one for their former manager. Arsenal, meanwhile, have equalled the Premier League record for the most goals scored from corners in a single campaign. #ARSENAL #premierleague #arsenalvschelsea #wwe #chelsea ♬ original sound – Metro Sport – Metro Sport

‘Some of the blockings or the way teams are blocking, there is no clear rule. Sometimes the referee whistles and it’s a foul, sometimes he doesn’t whistle.

‘I think that’s why we have this topic at the moment, but for me the main topic is make a clear rule for how much time you can waste for a corner, for a throw-in, for a free-kick.’

‘No-one recognises it, but when Arsenal have a corner and they are leading, sometimes they spend over a minute just to take a corner,’ he continued.

‘Therefore we just have to make clear rules, because then in the end we have a natural game time of 50 minutes instead of sometimes 65 minutes.

William Saliba bundled home Arsenal’s first goal from a corner against Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Jurrien Timber scored the winner against Chelsea following a Declan Rice corner (Picture: Getty)

‘The game is changing so much if you don’t have natural game time for all the games. We analyse it and the difference is just massive.

‘I am of the opinion that every supporter who pays a lot of money to watch our games should see the same natural game time. They want to see a football event, they don’t want to see maybe 50 minutes a game and for 40 minutes it’s not running.

‘We won’t change these rules immediately, so we know how important set pieces are.