Arsenal: Watch Mikel Arteta's comical reaction to scathing Fabian Hurzeler comments after Brighton victory

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta had little time for Fabian Hurzeler's incendiary post-match comments following the Gunners' critical 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in Wednesday's Premier League contest.

On what could prove to be a pivotal evening in the title race, Arsenal conquered the Seagulls 1-0 in an ugly Amex affair, thanks to a deflected Bukayo Saka strike in the opening exchanges.

Shortly after the full-time whistle blew on the South Coast, Manchester City were also held to a 2-2 draw at home by Nottingham Forest, allowing Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

However, the Gunners' overall performance was nothing to write home about yet again, as they had just 40% of the ball, generated a mere 0.47 Expected Goals and did not even fashion a single big chance.

Hurzeler had made headlines with his unflattering comments about Arsenal before the game, and the German doubled down post-match, claiming that there was only one team that tried to play football on the night.

Mikel Arteta on Fabian Hurzeler Arsenal comments: "What a surprise"

Hurzeler took particular issue with Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya going down three times with apparent injuries, and the 33-year-old also affirmed that he would never be the kind of manager that would go to such lengths to win games.

Arteta was inevitably quizzed on Hurzeler's feedback in his post-game press conference, but the Spaniard was unmoved by the criticism, responding: "What a surprise.

"You can just go back to the previous games and you will find a lot of comments. I love my players. That's the highlight. I love my players, we love our players, and I love the way that we compete."

Asked about the fury from opposing fans, Arteta instead offered a different narrative, saying: "I think they love our players, and every time they talk about our players, I think they're the most loved ones in the country."

While Arsenal have now extended their advantage at the Premier League summit, Hurzeler's Brighton sit 30 points worse off in 13th place, having won just three of their last 16 games in the division.

Why Mikel Arteta is right not to care about Arsenal criticism

“What a surprise.”

Mikel Arteta’s dry response to Fabian Hurzeler’s complaints after Arsenal’s 1-0 win away at Brighton, before adding: “Just go back to the previous games” ?? pic.twitter.com/VhOo6gRlCv
— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) March 4, 2026

Arsenal fans of a certain generation fondly remember the old '1-0 to the Arsenal' during the George Graham days, but two decades later, the Gunners were perpetually accused of having a soft touch.

Now that the Premier League leaders have swapped a weak underbelly for a hardened shell, the criticism has been flooding in - perhaps because rival fans and teams can no longer make jokes about Arsenal's purported fragility.

Football is a results-based business, and Arteta is under more pressure than ever to deliver results - in the shape of silverware - after a trio of consecutive near-misses in the top flight.

It may not be pretty for the fans, but it is working - just one look at the Premier League table is enough evidence of that.