Brighton's coach has made a decision ahead of their Premier League match against Arsenal.
Brighton's coach refuses to retract his remarks after previously accusing Arsenal of time-wasting tactics, while Arteta remains unfazed and focuses on tonight's game.
Fabian Hertha, manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, confirmed he will not withdraw his criticism of Arsenal's time-wasting behavior and insisted his team would never seek victory through such means ahead of their Premier League meeting tonight (Saturday, 19 Sep 2026 GMT+7).
It is understood that after Brighton lost 0-1 at home to Arsenal last March, Hertha strongly criticized Arsenal's tactics as destructive to football, accusing them of deliberately delaying play and disrupting opponents’ rhythm to secure a win.
Recently, Hertha was asked about this issue ahead of tonight's match between the two teams, and he confirmed his opinion remains unchanged.
“Last season was last season. Opinions matter, and I will always express such views if asked,” he said.
“But I want to congratulate Arsenal for deserving to be champions last season. Now it's a new season, and they have started impressively. Our challenge is to compete with them.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, “That matter is over; it is in the past. I have great respect for Fabian. What he and Brighton have done as a club is remarkable. Today will surely be an exciting game to watch.”
As for the current league standings, Brighton sits 6th with 7 points from 4 matches, while Arsenal leads the table with 12 points from 4 matches.