^ ^ Fabian Hurzeler reveals text message to Mikel Arteta after Arsenal criticism

Fabian Hurzeler reached out to Mikel Arteta after criticising Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics (Brighton)

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has revealed that he sent a message to Mikel Arteta after his scathing criticism of Arsenal’s time wasting last week.

Hurzeler was furious with Arsenal’s game management during their 1-0 win over Brighton last Wednesday and accused David Raya of feigning injury in order to run down the clock.

Arteta was less than impressed with Hurzeler’s accusation but Brighton’s head coach claims he did not aim to upset the Arsenal manager with his comments.

‘I think it’s very important to say one thing about that and I said it in the press conference before the game, that I really admire what Arsenal achieved so far this season, I really admire seeing Mikel Arteta, his team, his players and all the staff how they work,’ Hurzeler said on Friday.

‘And I will be the first one who will congratulate them if they win the Premier League.

‘I didn’t want to upset anyone from Arsenal, I didn’t want to upset the staff or the players, but on the other side I will stick to my words that some things I wasn’t happy about that night.

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‘I think all the numbers give me the confirmation about what I was saying afterwards regarding time wasting. I think we just need to find clear ruled about that.

‘But again, that’s very important for me and I also said it to Mikel afterwards and during the week I really admire his work, I really admire what Arsenal are doing, therefore I didn’t want to create that noise, I just wanted to make my point about how I was feeling.

‘But it has nothing to do what Arsenal or Arteta has achieved with his players, it’s just incredible, just impressive. I said it before in the press conference Arteta is, for me, one of the best managers in the world and I see him as a role model.

‘But I think it’s still very important in life to say your opinion, to not hide your opinion. Even when we are a smaller club I think we also should do that, because that evening we tried hard to win this game, now we faced an Arsenal that did different things, so we have to find a way to beat them, that’s a different challenge, but it was just important for me to say I have big respect for everything, for everyone who was with Arsenal and who has been involved in their achievements so far.

‘But I also think on the other side it’s very important to share the opinion I have and to stick to my principles.’

Fabian Hurzeler singled out Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya for going to ground with an injury on more than one occasion (Reuters)

Asked if he had reached out to Arteta after the game, Hurzeler replied: ‘It’s nothing personal, and I said at the press conference that I’ve huge respect, and I see him as one of the top managers in the Premier League.

‘Therefore, I love to see them playing, and I also admire a lot of elements of what they are doing.

‘I texted him and I said the same thing to him as well, that I have huge respect for everyone from Arsenal, and that I will be the first one who will congratulate him when they win the Premier League.

‘Because if they win it, they definitely deserve it but on the other side, they are just things that made me emotional and I’m a person who sticks to my principles, a person who sticks to my opinion, although it created a lot of noise.

‘Although I think that’s also important in life, no matter who you’re working for, to stand to your opinion, on the other side I just told Mikel what I admire, I admire what Arsenal are doing and his work and I have huge respect, therefore nothing should stand between us and now the work continues.’

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^ ^ Michael Owen says Arsenal are not the best team in the Premier League

Michael Owen insists Liverpool are ahead of Arsenal and Man City – despite being sixth in the Premier League (BBC)

Michael Owen believes Liverpool remain the best team in the Premier League ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City.

Arne Slot guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season in charge but the reigning champions have struggled for consistency this term and are currently sixth in the table, 19 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Owen, however, is adamant that Liverpool are the standout team in the Premier League and could return to their best next season.

‘Personally, I think they’re the best team in the Premier League,’ Owen said on BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show.

‘People will laugh like, ‘where are they, sixth in the league?’ They trounced the league last season, and they’re not the sixth [best], they’re just not playing well.

‘If you get the best performance out of every team in the Premier League and say, ‘right, go on, your best against your best’, I think Liverpool are the best team. Going to Anfield I think is impossible when they’re playing well.

Liverpool are currently 19 points behind Arsenal in the Premier League (Reuters)

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Rooney replied: ‘For me it’s different, I think Arsenal are the most consistent team, whether they win it or not, I’m still not sure because of City, I don’t know.

‘The players they [Liverpool] lost last summer and the players they brought in, it’s a big turnaround to get the same out of the group of players this year what they got last year.

‘If you look at the players they lost, plus, which I’ve said all season, I don’t think Van Dijk or Salah, who are Liverpool’s two main players, have been at their best. So I think next season will be the one for Liverpool, and obviously when you’re champions you get criticised if you don’t win games and that’s what’s happened with some of the players and the manager.’

Owen replied: ‘I think if you ask a Liverpool fan, would you settle for finishing fifth? Champions League football is absolutely vital. Then after the season it’s been, and then to try to win another trophy, then I think they’d they’d take that. The league has long gone, so it’s just about making sure it’s top five.

‘I hear Wazza with the Liverpool situation, it’s been massively frustrating but I still find it hard to believe you can go from being so dominant one season and adding some really top players, Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, just those three are unbelievable players, it’s hard to believe they’re worse, of course, they’re playing worse this season but I just think it’s a matter of time, maybe next season, before you see them at their very top again.

‘Arsenal I think will go on to win the league but you can’t tell me they’re as good as, or even close to Liverpool last season. I still think Liverpool have got it in them, they’re just not doing it consistently.’

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^ ^ Harry Wilson injury update ahead of Nottingham Forest vs Fulham

Harry Wilson has missed Fulham’s last two games due to an ankle injury (Getty)

Harry Wilson is aiming to return from an ankle injury for Fulham’s Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The 28-year-old was forced off with an ankle injury in the second half of Fulham’s 2-1 win at home to Tottenham on March 1.

Wilson then missed Fulham’s 1-0 defeat at home to West Ham, as well as the 1-0 loss at home to Southampton in the FA Cup last Sunday.

Fulham travel to Forest this weekend and the winger, who has nine goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, is confident he will be able to return.

‘I’m good,’ Wilson told BBC Sport Wales.

‘I had a bit of a knock after the Spurs game, which took a week or so to go, but I’m back training now, so I’m hoping I’ll be good to go for Sunday and definitely good to go for the Wales games.’

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^ ^ Chelsea legend says four Arsenal players are suffering because of Mikel Arteta

Arsenal drew with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League (Picture: Getty)

John Obi Mikel has accused Arsenal of ‘cheating’ their way to a Premier League title and says four players are suffering because of Mikel Arteta’s ‘ridiculous’ tactics.

Arsenal, who last won the Premier League in 2004, boast a seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

Man City have a game in hand over the Gunners, however, and a home match against Arteta’s side to try and close the gap on Arsenal.

Despite competing for all four trophies this season, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their style of play from a number of pundits and a large section of fans.

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Obi Mikel says he ‘will not recognise’ Arsenal as Premier League champions if they go on to clinch the title due to their tactics and reliance on set-play goals.

The two-time Premier League winner also said Arteta’s tactics are having a negative impact on Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Eberechi Eze.

Only Viktor Gyokeres has scored more than six Premier League goals for Arsenal this season, with captain Odegaard and winger Martinelli only netting one apiece.

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Former Chelsea title winner John Obi Mikel (Picture: Getty)

‘When I watch Arsenal play they depend solely on corners,’ Obi Mikel told talkSPORT.

‘You have spent almost a billion, Mikel Arteta, and you’re telling me the only way you can win games is through corner kicks? It’s ridiculous.

‘The only reason Arsenal fans are not complaining about the style of football is because they’re top of the league.

❌ "I wouldn't recognise Arsenal as winners!"😡 "For me, they've cheated their way to winning the Premier League!"John Obi Mikel really, really doesn't like the way #AFC are using set pieces to win the Premier League… 👀 pic.twitter.com/x9nUFpFyI3

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) March 11, 2026

‘The creativity they have, the potential they have — it’s all gone out of the window. We don’t see the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard anymore because they depend solely on corners.

‘If they win playing like this, I wouldn’t recognise them as winners. For me it’s a cheat. They’ve cheated their way to winning the Premier League.

‘It’s illegal the way they’re winning games and the Premier League should stamp it out because we don’t want to see it.

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If it works, it works… right? 🤷‍♂️ Arsenal legend Alan Smith tells rival fans who claim the Gunners play boring football and rely on set-pieces to ‘suck it up’. #alansmith #arsenal #setpiece #premierleague #championsleague

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‘You can’t play like this when you’ve spent a billion, there’s so much creativity in the squad – Eze, Odegaard, Saka – let them express themselves. They are so rigid and dependent on corner kicks.’

Kai Havertz’s late penalty earned Arsenal a 1-1 draw in their Champions League last-16 first-leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night.

Speaking after the draw, Arteta said: ‘The game had different phases, some in the first half when we were very dominant and we had a big chance.

Chelsea drew 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen (Picture: Getty)

‘When you miss those chances, obviously the game can change. Then after that, we didn’t finish enough actions, every time we got in and around the box, we gave the ball away and that allowed certain counter-attacks and that was very unlike us.

‘Without really considering anything, we needed to show certain things. We discussed that at half-time and we expected to start very fast, especially because we knew certain routines that they have on kick-offs, because they had three at the weekend and still, we got caught.

‘We weren’t ready enough; we conceded a chance on the header and after that we conceded the goal.

‘So, when you give that hope and advantage to the opponent at that level, they’re going to take it and then we had to really dig in because emotionally it becomes a very different challenge.

‘We had 10-15 minutes that we didn’t really have enough threat and enough understanding of how we had to attack that block, but in the last 20 minutes, 25, with the changes I think it was much better.

‘In the end, we found a way to score the goal and draw the game.’

Arsenal continue their Premier League title charge against Everton this weekend before the second leg against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.

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^ ^ Wesley Fofana praises two PSG stars after Chelsea suffer Champions League defeat

Wesley Fofana and Chelsea were put to the sword by Paris Saint-Germain (Picture: Getty)

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana admitted his side were handed a reality check by Paris Saint-Germain after last night’s sobering Champions League defeat.

Liam Rosenior’s young side were more than a match for the holders and fully deserved to be on terms when Enzo Fernandez made it 2-2 shortly before the hour mark.

A catastrophic error from goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, however, presented Vitinha with the chance to restore PSG’s lead with 16 minutes remaining and two late goals from substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia left Chelsea with a mountain to climb in next week’s return fixture.

Ousmane Dembele, recently returned from injury, had earlier given Luis Enrique’s side a 2-1 lead, applying the perfect finish to a sweeping move having tied Fofana up in knots in the process.

‘It’s nothing new,’ said Fofana when asked to assess PSG’s class in attack. ‘I think everyone knows it. Last year, they were European champions, and that’s not for nothing.

‘They have a Ballon d’Or winner, they have Ousmane (Dembele), who is among the best players in the world, even now, even though he’s coming back from injury.

‘So yes, for sure, they are great players, they only have great players.’

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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored two late goals to sink Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

The tie was still in the balance heading into the closing stages but the impact Kvaratskhelia made coming off the bench is likely to prove decisive with the Georgia international punishing Chelsea’s naivety.

‘We saw it, they bring on another great player (Kvaratskhelia). He hurt us, he scores two goals.

‘Was it a difficult moment? Physically, we were struggling because we pressed a lot, we tried to go man-to-man throughout the match, but they are a great team.

‘Tonight, they showed that, so hats off to them.’

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tipped the balance of the tie in PSG’s favour (Picture: Getty)

Pedro Neto, meanwhile, has apologised for pushing a ball boy to the ground during a frenetic end to the game.

The incident occurred with Chelsea trailing 4-2 in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes Rosenior’s side sought a late response.

The PSG players reacted angrily after Neto wrestled the ball off the ball boy, leaving him on the ground and sparking a melee, and the Portuguese winger spoke after the match to hold his hands up.

‘I want to come out to say the situation that happened on the pitch, I want to apologise to the ball boy,’ the 26-year-old told TNT Sports.

Ousmane Dembele fired PSG into a 2-1 lead (Picture: Getty)

‘I already spoke with him. With the emotions of the game, we were losing, I wanted to pick up the ball. I gave him a little push and I saw that I hurt him in a sort of way.

‘I’m not like this. I went there to apologise, I gave him my shirt as well. That cannot happen, so I’m really, really sorry about that.’

Neto escaped without any punishment from the referee, and head coach Rosenior also apologised in his post-match press conference.

“If there was anything from our side that was wrong or out of order, I apologise on behalf of the club,” he said.

It was the home side who had the last laugh, though, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring his second goal four minutes into stoppage time to make it 5-2 and put PSG within touching distance of the quarter-finals.

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^ ^ Man Utd transfer boost as Arsenal drop interest in £100m star

Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been linked with both Manchester United and Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have reportedly cooled their interest in Sandro Tonali after being heavily linked with the Newcastle midfielder towards the end of the January transfer window.

A deadline-day report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed Tonali had been offered to Arsenal by his agent following an injury to Mikel Merino, who is likely to miss the remainder of the season.

The Gunners were said to have ‘admired Tonali for a long time’ but Newcastle made it clear they had no intention of losing the 25-year-old unless an astronomical fee was paid.

And while Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta ‘explored’ the possibility of bringing Tonali to the Emirates, no direct talks took place between the two Premier League rivals and a deal was never considered realistic.

Mikel Arteta made no secret of the fact Arsenal were trying to ‘find solutions’ to bolster his squad for the second half of the campaign, but the Spaniard was ultimately left disappointed as the transfer deadline came and went.

According to Chronicle Live, Arsenal have since dropped any interest they had in Tonali after holding internal discussions to determine potential goals and ambitions for the summer.

Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus are keeping close tabs on the situation and remain keen on Tonali, but it would likely require an offer in excess of £100million to prise the Italy international away from St James’ Park.

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Tonali’s agent offered the Italy international to Arsenal in January (Picture: Getty)

The Magpies have slapped a £100m price tag on Tonali ahead of the summer transfer window (Picture: Getty)

The report claims Tonali’s name did not feature on Arsenal’s initial shortlist of targets, adding that the league leaders may have as little as £40m to spend on new recruits in order to comply with PSR restrictions.

The Gunners can now be ‘crossed off the list’ of possible destination for Tonali, with a move to the Emirates deemed ‘impossible’.

It comes after Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christhian Norgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga all joined Arsenal in a £250m spending spree last summer.

In recent days, it has been widely reported that Arsenal could be willing to part with a genuine first-time star such as Martin Odegaard or Gabriel Martinelli in order to help balance the books.

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Amid the incessant speculation and gossip surrounding Tonali’s future, Eddie Howe has vehemently denied claims that the former AC Milan star could be feeling ‘unsettled’.

‘I don’t think so, but lots of things happen without my knowledge,’ the Newcastle head coach told reporters last month.

‘As far as I’m aware, we’ve got a player who is an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person. He’s very happy here. He’s got a great relationship with me, his team-mates and seems really happy within himself.

Howe is confident Tonali remains committed to Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

Howe added: ‘That would surprise me [if Tonali became unsettled], but our best players will always attract glances from other clubs – that’s just the reality of football.

‘We want to keep our group together, we want to be progressive and Sandro plays a part in that. All encompassed, I don’t see an issue but I don’t control everything.

‘There was certainly no intention from our side to lose Sandro at all. He’s such an integral player to what we’re doing.

‘He’s very happy here. He is absolutely fine. I had discussions with him and he is absolutely focused on playing for us.’

@metrosportuk

Arsenal could be the luckiest treble winners EVER 🫣 When you actually look at Arsenal’s draw across all competitions there’s genuinely a chance they could win multiple trophies, and without facing too many top teams. Could they become the luckiest treble winners of all time? #arsenal #premierleague #treble #mancity #footballnews

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In a recent interview with Italian newspaper Tuttosport, Tonali’s agent Giuseppe Riso refused to rule out the possibility of a big-money move for his client in the summer.

‘Newcastle is having a hard time letting go of Sandro, and he wants to lead the club into the Champions League this season,’ Riso explained.

‘These transfer discussions will take place later.

‘We’ll see how the season ends and then decide what to do.’

Tonali has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract at St James’ Park (Picture: Getty)

Asked if a return to Serie A could be on the cards for Tonali, Riso replied: ‘There’s no preference right now.

‘It’s still early. What we’re saying today won’t apply tomorrow.

‘Newcastle couldn’t part with him now and it wasn’t worth moving, especially since Sandro is very attached to the club.

‘We’ll evaluate things in the summer and decide what to do.’

Tonali has made 103 appearances in all competitions across his three-year stay in Newcastle and helped the club end their long wait for silverware last term as Howe’s men went all the way in the Carabao Cup.

A ten-month ban – after Tonali was found to have breached Italian betting regulations – meant the central midfielder played just eight league games in his debut season with the Magpies.

Tonali’s current contract in the north east runs through to June 2028, with the option of a further 12 months.

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