Brighton defeated Arsenal 3-0 and inflicted the first defeat on the English champion since the beginning of the season, and manager Fabian Hürzeler explained the success with something far simpler than a complex tactical scheme. The German coach pointed out that the first duels won, the first splits and the first static situations were decisive, Sportal reported.
Pascal Gross opened the scoring, and after him, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres were accurate. Brighton imposed high intensity from the start and did not allow Arsenal to control the match, although the Londoners had more possession of the ball.
„Small battles“ as a big explanation
Hürzeler summed up his team's approach with the words: “Our approach was to focus on ourselves and win the small battles first. To win the first aerial duel, the first split, the first touch, the first corner“. According to him, it is these initial actions that bring the team into the match and give the players confidence.
“It sounds a bit old-fashioned, but that was really our approach, because when you win these small battles, you enter the match and then you can create a bigger chance“, added Hürzeler. According to him, the basis of success was in discipline and in consistency in the individual fights.
What was not perfect
Despite the categorical result, Hürzeler did not present the match as perfect. “Was it a perfect match? I wouldn't say. There are things we need to improve on," he said. The coach stressed that Brighton's task is to make such performances a regular occurrence, rather than relying on one-off strong nights.
“We have a phrase: we want to challenge the established order. That doesn't mean doing it in just one game. We have to do it when we're not playing against these teams,“ said Hürzeler. His message was clear - Brighton are looking for consistency against the best, not just individual impressive results.
The victory against Arsenal has put Brighton in the spotlight in England, and what they have shown on the pitch has reinforced the feeling that the team can be an uncomfortable opponent for even the best in the Premier League. For Arsenal, the defeat came at a time when the team had maintained their unbeaten start to the season.
For Brighton, the success was more than three points. It came with a clear game plan, aggression off the ball and efficiency in the penalty area - a combination that Hürzeler has reduced to the simple rule of winning the small battles first.
Sources: Sportal