Gabriel Magalhaes has brushed off Fabian Hurzeler’s claims that Arsenal deliberately waste time.
The Brighton boss had criticized the Gunners in his pre-match press conference, alleging that Mikel Arteta’s side consistently slow down restarts from corners and throw-ins.
During Brighton’s midweek defeat at the Amex Stadium, Hurzeler, his players, and the home fans confronted referee Chris Kavanagh over the numerous stoppages.
The German coach later reiterated his frustration after the match, insisting that “only one team tried to play football.”
Gabriel, however, is unconcerned. Speaking to ESPN Brasil via Mirror in a flash interview, he said: “We don’t really care about what he says. That is for the referee to decide on the pitch. If he wants to give a yellow card or not, he decides the time we take. We just have to do things the way we are doing and keep going.”
Arsenal now sit seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table after Manchester City twice surrendered leads in draws against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
While Gabriel acknowledges the significance of the result in Arsenal’s bid to end their 22-year wait for a league title, he has called on his teammates to remain focused.
He added, “We have to concentrate on ourselves and keep going the way we are. Now it’s three wins in a row, and of course we have to keep winning. That’s the most important thing.”
